Drabbles A La Glee 2
by GingerGleek
Summary: A 2nd installment of drabbles, following 'Drabbles A La Glee'. Some episode related, some not. Rated T to be safe.
1. Will

**A/N:** Oh . . . My . . . Gawd! AAH! I'm baaaaack, baby! And so, so, so excited about it! I've sincerely missed writing drabbles, and I'm ecstatic that this second installment is now under way.

I'm going to apologize to anyone who has me on author alert, because I've been on a writing hiatus for far too long (even though it's only been, like, a month since I last posted something). That, to me, is far too long. Especially after being used to posting a drabble almost every day. I won't bore you with excuses, just know that I am back.

As is painfully clear seeing as I am now posting this drabble, I am currently back to writing drabbles as well as my series of Character Pieces. Last night I finished Santana (yay!) and will post that after I have this up on the site. (If you have not checked out my character pieces, feel free to do so and let me know what you think!)

All of the other things I may have mentioned writing are in the works. This last month I have not been writing at all (up until last night), so no progress has been made on those, unfortunately. But I am now back to focusing on my writing, as my muse has decided to return to me for the time being.

This A/N is far too long, and for that I apologize. I just hope that all who enjoyed Drabbles A La Glee enjoy this as well (along with those who did not read Drabbles A La Glee).

I hope you enjoy this first (well, 101st, really) drabble!

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**Will S.**_ Set after 'Journey'._

They've been through a lot – and he means a _lot_ – of stuff in the last couple of months.

Ever since Glee started things have been tough. With Rachel Berry storm outs, pregnancy drama (and baby daddy drama), competition for solos and leads, a traitor in their midst who played with their self-proclaimed star's heart, home troubles, and Sue's attempts to destroy the club, they've been up to their necks in mischief and troubles.

And he doesn't regret any of it.

Because without it, they wouldn't be the club they are today. They wouldn't have a (however unwilling) respect for each other. They wouldn't have the hope – the _belief_ – that they can make it through anything.

And that's a belief that's worth all the heartbreak and slushies and Sue Sylvester in the world.

As he stands on that stage with his kids (minus the two new parents) he feels his palms starting to sweat. His kids deserve to win. If not because they gave the best performance (which he, as their teacher, believes they did), then because they've been through so much and _want_ it more than anyone else – especially Vocal Adrenaline's soulless automatons – ever could.

And if they don't win, they at least deserve second for no other reason than to keep the club afloat. Because they deserve, without a doubt, the right to express themselves and be equals for 40 minutes, three times a week.

Out in the cruel high school hallways, they face judgment and stereotypes. Some face slushies and dumpster dives and cruel nicknames; some dish them out. But in the choir room, if only for a short while, they're all on even ground; whether they'll admit it or not. And that's something everybody deserves.

'Why do judges always take so long?' he wonders to himself, wiping his palms on his pants. Why can't they just get up on stage and announce that his kids have gotten what they deserve?

(He's always known that people don't always get what they deserve. So why is it such a shock this time?)

Even as his kids deflate and he goes through the motions of packing away the choir room, he knows – from the very depths of his heart – that it's not the end. Somehow, a fairy will fly on by and wave her magic wand and set everything straight.

(Turns out the biggest shock of all isn't them losing.

It's Sue Sylvester, the fairy.)

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Please review!


	2. Brittany

**A/N:** I was ready to post this last night, but FF . net was not being cooperative. So here it is now! It's short, yeah, but it wouldn't leave me alone and I had to write it. I hope you enjoy!

(Today's drabble will be up just after this, and I promise it's longer!)

Enjoy!

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**Brittany.**_ Set before 'Home'_.

She's at home, practicing a dance routine in her spacious bedroom. She twirls, kicks, counts steps in her head (thankfully it's a 4 step routine), and repeats. It's what she does in her free time, on days where she and San don't have plans at the mall or late Cheerios practices. After school and before she calls San for help with her homework (lately she's been having difficulty with square roots), she just likes to dance.

1, 2, 3, 4 . . . step, turn, step, kick . . . 1, 2, 3, 4 . . . bend, step, jump, land . . . She stops, mentally adjusting the original choreography to better flow. She tries again, smiling widely because she likes what's she's come up with so far. She shakes her legs and arms out, grabbing her water bottle and thirstily gulping some down. She lies back on her bed, contemplating what to add next. She looks over to her desk as her cat, Ariel, swiftly jumps down. She frowns slightly, noticing her diary lying open.

Just then, however, her phone rings and she grabs her math textbook while answering it, trying hard to understand as San tries hard to explain.

Thoughts of Ariel reading her diary are discarded until she remembers the next day.

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Please review!


	3. Rachel

**A/N:** Here's today's! As promised, it is longer! Over 500 words! I struggled for a while trying to figure out how to right something Post-Egging, and this just came to me about half-an-hour ago. I went along with it, and I like how it turned out. Hope you do too!

(Any drabble requests? I welcome them!)

Enjoy!

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**Rachel B.**_ Set after 'Funk'._

She's become almost accustomed to the icy-cold stickiness of a slushie coating her skin and clinging to her hair and clothing. It's never any less terrible than the first time it happened, but she's used to it by now. She's had lots of practice removing it and does so quickly and efficiently, never missing more than half of a class. Her teachers barely notice it when she comes in late anymore. Her projects are always in on time, after all, and she gets good grades. And most of them are old and bitter and don't enjoy teaching much anymore. It's just a job to them, and as such, their care for their students is low or nonexistent.

A slushie to the face is familiar. As familiar as the feel of a damp cloth in her hand as she scrubs graffiti from her locker or the bathroom stalls; as familiar as the sound of the cruel nicknames, 'RuPaul', or 'Man Hands' floating down the hallway at her; as familiar as the rejection that takes complete and total hold of her heart whenever Finn kisses her and runs away.

She used to being slushied; to being bullied; to be rejected by Finn Hudson.

She is not, however, accustomed to the feeling that accompanies the shock as Vocal Adrenaline and the boy she thought she loved (and she thought loved her) throw eggs at her.

They're sticky and slimy in a more disgusting way than slushies are, and the sound they make as they crack against her skin is terrible and alien. Their laughter is sharper than that of any Cheerio or WMHS jock, and the look on Jesse's face as he cracks an egg directly on her forehead makes her feel as though thousands of tiny, icy shards are being impaled into her heart. His words, so out of place for the moment, cause an unfamiliar confusion.

She's not used to being confused by any of the things that are commonly done to her. The jocks do it because they're dumb and often bored, the Cheerios do it because they are spiteful and look down on her, and she knows she'll never be good enough for Finn. Not when he has Quinn to compare her to; even now after the blonde-haired beauty betrayed him. None of those things confuse her; not really. They make her wonder why she isn't good enough, sure . . . but in a sick way she understands the reasoning. (They're bad reasons, but reasons just the same.)

But Jesse . . . how can he say he loved her as he cracks an egg on her head? What did she do to him to make him angry and bitter enough to do this? She's not the one who abandoned him, right? He's the one who walked into her life, made her love him, and walked away abruptly. And now he's the one egging her.

She knows, somewhere inside of her, that this isn't her fault; that this is all on him. But a larger, more prominent part of her – the part that's been beaten down for years, the part that's looked in the mirror and hated what is reflected, the part that's constantly wondering why she isn't good enough – wonders if maybe this is all her fault.

That maybe, just maybe, if she had been better somehow, he wouldn't have left . . .

. . . he wouldn't be pelting her with eggs . . .

. . . and he would still love her.

Maybe . . .

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Please review!


	4. Noah

**A/N:** The scene with Quinn and Puck at the hospital really got to me. Especially because Puck never answered when Quinn turned his question back around him. So, this is what came out of that. Tomorrow I think I'll do one from Quinn's POV of this same scene.

And I'm not really a Quick fan, but I'm slowly learning to not hate it.

Hope you enjoy!

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**Noah P.**_ Set after 'Journey'._

"_Do you wanna keep her?"_

His heart breaks in two with Quinn's answer.

"_No."_

His chest tightens, and he struggles to keep his breathing normal. He blinks a couple times in the hope of delaying the onslaught of tears he's afraid is coming. (Badasses don't cry, right?) He loves Quinn. And he's going to respect her decision, because he knows he couldn't do this alone. (He's starting to believe that he'd be a good dad, but he's also aware – more so due to Rachel's current situation – that a little girl needs a mom.) But he just can't understand how Quinn can _not_ want to keep her. He can understand wanting their baby girl to have the best opportunities possible (because he wants that too) but he doesn't understand not _wanting_ that wonderful, perfect, miracle wrapped in a pink blanket through the window in front of them.

"_Do you?"_

He looks at Quinn; at the face he loves even all red with her hair all over the place. He swallows, and takes a deep breath. He forces himself to think about his little girl growing up with someone who can support her better than he can; taking all the dance classes her little heart desired, that he knows he couldn't pay for. With the love of someone just waiting for a miracle they can't produce themselves.

And he lies.

"_No."_

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Please review!


	5. Quinn

**A/N:** Something came up, and I wasn't able to post this until today.

Hope you enjoy!

(Today's drabble will be up momentarily.

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**Quinn F.** _Set after 'Journey'._

Does she want to keep Beth?

Yes, yes she does. This is the little girl that she's carried inside of her for nine months. Her only constant as her world was torn apart and she separated herself from the one person who would have been there for her no matter what.

Of course she wants to keep her.

She wants to hold her close, care for her late at night, early in the morning, and all through the day. She wants to be there for every milestone, and to remember every one. She wants to shop for little pink dresses and put together a scrapbook of her first year. She wants to watch her baby girl grow, and to grow with her; to become a woman and a mother and understand (more than she already does) what it's like to love another person with all of your heart and more. She wants to _be there_, now and always.

But she also wants to graduate high school, and go to college, and make a career for herself. She wants to discover things about this world that she can't learn living in a small town, raising a child.

She wants her daughter to have everything that she wouldn't have if she and Puck tried to raise her now. She wants her to have a big room and all the food and clothes she needs, and – when she's older – be able to have every kind of lesson she wants. Dance, singing, playing soccer or baseball . . . she wishes she could see her baby do all those things, but she knows that the only way Beth will get them is if she is raised by others.

Yes, she wants Beth. But there's so much more that she wants, for herself and for her little princess.

So she lies to Puck, despite the empty, hollow feeling it leaves in her gut.

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Please review!


	6. Artie

**A/N:** This just popped into my mind! It got angsty-er than planned, but then the end got happier than I planned. So it all kinda balances out, lol. I really hope you enjoy!

Tomorrow I'm busy with my Gr. 8 Grad (woot!), but Tuesday I'll have two up (:.

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**Artie A.**_ Set after 'Dream On'._

It's hard; sitting in a half-moon with everyone else and harmonizing while he watches his best friend (and something more) dancing with Mike.

And yeah, he knows that he told her to choose Mike. He knows that it's so much better than it would have been with his wheelchair throwing it off. (And those tap wheels really _did_ sound terrible.)

But it isn't his fault, damn it. It's his damn chair's fault, in the end; because if he wasn't in it – if he was able to move his legs – he could tap dance. He could dance with the girl he loves, and not be sitting on the sidelines.

And it always comes back to his chair, doesn't it?

The way the choreography has to be done around him and his chair; it would be so much easier for them, wouldn't it, if they had someone with two fully-functional legs. The reason he was a loser even before Glee; because he was just another misunderstood blip on the social radar.

So yeah, it's hard.

But still he sits and endures, and focuses on Tina's smile instead of the way Mike dances with her. And after Mr. Schue's praised them all and everyone else has gone on their way, Tina comes to sit on his lap.

Her smile, her thanks, and her kiss make it all worthwhile.

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Please review!


	7. Santana

**A/N:** This is yesterday's drabble, that I could not post because of my Gr. 8 Grad. It's based on Santana, but does not directly relate to an episode. There ended up being quite a bit of Rachel mentioned . . . I don't know why, it just flowed that way.

Hope you enjoy!

Today's will be up momentarily.

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She'd never admit it . . . but she's changed – or is changing – from the self-centered, cruel bitch she used to be.

It may not seem like it on the outside – because she does have a reputation to uphold, after all – but on the inside the changes are obvious. The way she no longer goes looking for a loser to humiliate between second and third period just to break the monotony; the way she doesn't even enjoy insulting people anymore (well, most people. She doesn't think making fun of Ben-Israel's ridiculous and disgusting hairdo will get old anytime soon); the way she almost found herself bitching Karofsky out for calling Kurt a 'fag' the other day. (What? So what if she's realized that word is dumb. It's not as if she _likes_ the kid, or anything. But maybe she just doesn't think there's anything wrong with him being who he is anymore.)

And it's not like she's going to walk into school one day and invite Ti- err, Goth Chick shopping or tell Mercedes her hair looks nice or some shit like that. She's not going to become a good person overnight. She's not sure she really wants to be a _good_ person, anyways.

She just, kinda, doesn't want to be the way she used to be.

(Because she's caught Rachel crying in the bathroom, covered in Cherry slushie, and felt something in her stomach that she thinks might be guilt. And that's not a feeling she wants again.

Besides, so what if Berry dresses like a toddler/grandma, and uses big words, and is freakishly annoying, and – where was she, again? Oh yeah. She doesn't deserve that shit. No one does.

And they're never gonna be bosom friends . . . but she doesn't hate the chick anymore.

She's actually, almost, kinda cool; in a way. Not, like, popular-cool . . . but Santana kinda respects the way she (and Kurt and Mercedes, etc.) put on a brave face because they know that it's not the end of the world. She thinks that's kind of cool.)

Whatever; she's a Cheerio, not a gleek.

Seriously, she isn't.

(Oh, shut up.)

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Please review!


	8. Mike

**A/N:** Mike popped into my head for today's drabble, and then I had to go 'Cherry' because I love Mike and Rachel together!

I like it, and I hope you do too!

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**Mike C. **_Set after 'Hell-O'._

He thinks Rachel is really intense. And not in a totally awesome way, either; in a scary way.

She talks way too much, and way too fast. Whenever they aren't rehearsing, she's talking to Mr. Schue about all these ideas she has. And she expects perfection from everybody. And she's goes through guys kind of quickly . . . except Finn. But even with that, it's on-again-off-again-on-again so suddenly.

Before Glee he barely knew who she was. He knew she was kind of a loser, and he'd seen her at Dance (Lima only had one good dance studio), but he'd never talked to her. He'd only seen her crazy from a distance.

Then he'd watched Finn fall for her, even while he had a pregnant girlfriend. And then Puck had gone after her (yeah, that was weird). Then she'd set her sights on Mr. Schue, and that was all kinds of messed up shit. _Shudder_.

But then he danced with her, while she was pissed off at Finn (again; though understandably), and she's been just an intense as she'd seemed from afar. But this intense wasn't scaring him away . . . it was kind of intriguing him. (Plus she wasn't a bad dancer, at all.)

Now, he watches her in Glee rehearsal (wow, that sounds stalker-ish – even in his own head), and all the things that made her freaky just don't anymore. Yeah, she talks a lot. But everything she says everything with a purpose, and she just _demands_ attention, even from people who really don't want to listen to her. He thinks it's kind of . . . cool. And she expects perfection, but she doesn't seem like she's trying to expect the impossible from anyone. She seems like she honest to God _believes_ that they're all capable of it, and just forces them to see the potential she sees. And he thinks that's really awesome, the way she believes in them.

And the guy thing . . . well, it's not exactly her fault. She's just emotional and obviously craving some sort of companionship. She goes about it the wrong way, he knows, but it's the guys were behaving accordingly. He thinks Finn's being kind of a douche, and Puck, well . . . he's Puck. (The Mr. Schue thing is _still_ messed up, though.)

And . . .

Wow, one little dance sequence, and all he can think about is her.

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Please review!


	9. Tina

**A/N:** Sorry! (Again.) Went to the trailer Wednesday night until this morning, so I missed three days. I keep doing this, but it can't be helped. I have three to post now, though, male up for the days I missed.

I hope you enjoy Tina, Mercedes, and Matt! (:

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**Tina C.** _Set after 'Theatricality'._

She feels sort of . . . empty. Not on the inside, because she is very firm in her knowledge of herself. She may have had issues (large issues) with interacting with people and talking in front of people, but she's never struggled to identify the way she is inside.

She feels empty on the outside. Like a blank canvas; a blank canvas that has been banned from being painted upon in the style it longed for.

Honestly, that exactly what she is. She's been deprived of one of her most basic rights; the right to freedom of expression. The clothes she wears (or likes to wear, as she is currently adorned in hideous sweats) represent her. They express who she is. As does the heavy make-up and the streaks in her hair. (The streaks remain, however, because no way was she going to hack out portions of her hair. That dye does not just wash out; it's real.)

Who does Figgins think he is, anyways? That shit he was going on about was uncalled for and this censorship is _wrong_.

But what can she do about it?

(All of sudden she gets an idea, and Figgins and his vampire-phobia better be ready for the shock of his life. Power to the vamps!)

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Please review!


	10. Mercedes

**A/N:** Kind of a special one for #10, but not very, lol. 25, 50, and 100 will be extra special, though, promise!

Hope you enjoy! (Matt's up next!)

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**Mercedes J.** _Set after 'Home'._

It's not that really that big of a deal, is it? Celebrities do it all the time, right? They talk about it like it's no big deal, and it _isn't_. Besides, what do the means matter in the end? She can stop whenever (whenever she's satisfied with what she sees in the mirror), and it'll be fine. Her happiness will be worth it.

She tells herself all this and more, to quiet the voices in the back of her head that are saying that the gnawing feeling in her stomach isn't healthy. She tries to convince herself that it _is_, indeed, healthy. It just proves her self-control. If she can just stay in control, everything will be perfect. If she can keep control, she'll be happy . . . right?

_Right?_

She's disappointed when it doesn't immediately work. She's eating less, she's exercising; she should be getting thinner. But she isn't.

So she deepens her control. She exercises more, almost constantly. But still, at the end of the week, standing on Coach's scale, it doesn't make a difference.

She feels it in her throat (not so different from the vomit, in a way); the steaming hot disappointment. Coach's words are sharp, and only make her hate herself that much more.

She doesn't give up, though. She tries harder.

But it isn't so easy. Despite what she tells herself about the gnawing, she can't stand it. She's _so_ hungry, and then she's angry at herself for being weak. But food is all she can think about, and when Tina and Artie (and Rachel and Jesse) start looking like food, she knows she's going crazy.

She gets up to leave, because being around food is too hard, but she doesn't end up getting very far.

When she wakes up, there sits before her the help she'd been unknowingly begging for since her first foodless day. And it's not like she immediately becomes comfortable with her body or anything, because that'd be unrealistic.

But Quinn helps her get on a path back to normalcy and understanding of herself and her survival needs.

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Please review!


	11. Matt

**A/N:** This one's kind of filler, because the only ones left in this mini-cycle of people as of this one were Emma, Kurt, Finn, and Matt. And I couldn't think of anything good for the other three at the moment. So this one's for Matt, lol. And Matt is pretty awesome anyways, IMO.

Hope you enjoy!

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**Matt R.** _Set after 'Funk'._

They've worked too hard for this.

They've been working their asses off for too long to let Vocal Adrenaline affect them like this. Sure, it sucks that Jesse is as much of a douche as everyone (excluding Rachel) thought from the start, and it sucks that Vocal Adrenaline is extremely good.

But they've always known VA is good (from the start, they've been the biggest obstacle, really). And it wasn't as if they'd done much (or any) of their Regionals set list while Jesse was around. They're drawing board never had anything on it, so they haven't been set back in that department.

The only real problem that he can see is everyone's attitude.

He can understand being in the dumps for like, a day, because that's a low blow so close to competition. And having the choir room TP-ed was really insulting. But after that, he doesn't see why everyone can't just snap out of it and focus on doing their best at Regionals. Because giving in to the funk is only doing what Jesse and the competition want to happen, and he can't comprehend that.

(He wasn't raised to dwell on the past. If he had been, he might have some serious issues; because if his dad had let him wallow in misery after his mom filed for divorce, gave up custody of him and his little brother and sister, and moved states, he wouldn't be the happy-go-lucky guy he is now.) As it is, his dad worked hard to focus on anything positive, and Matt still follows that lead.

In this situation, however – especially since Rachel was egged by her asshole ex and his posse – he doesn't know what to do to get everyone to lose the funk.

He just knows it needs to be done. And soon.

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Please review!


	12. Finn

**A/N:** Kay so, I absolutely hate how this one turned out. Hate it. I think it's bad, but I'm not sure I can do any better. So this is what you're getting. Sorry.

Hope you like even if I don't!

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**Finn H.** _Set after 'Home'._

It's not that he doesn't want his mom to be happy.

He's overheard her crying alone at night too many times to ever even think of wanting that. He knows that she's lonely, and he knows that something's missing from their family. Something he's never had before.

He wants her to be happy.

But he doesn't want to forget his dad. He doesn't really know the man that well in the first place; all he has are the stories his mom told him over the years, Polaroid photographs, and that old armchair. He doesn't have his own memories, just those passed down to him, and he clings to them tightly, trying to know as much as he can about his long ago passed dad. He's not ready to move on from someone he's still trying to get to know.

So he isn't happy when he finds out that his mom is dating. And he's more than upset when he finds her getting rid of his dad's old stuff.

He freaks out because he can't understand why his mom would want to get rid of those things. The only things they have left. (Later he understands that she wants a fresh start; but he still doesn't agree with her method to get it.

Burt's a pretty cool guy and all. And it isn't so bad to have him around. And the guy makes his mom happy, so Finn doesn't really have too many complaints that they're together. (Except the kind of creepy way Kurt keeps looking at him.)

But the role of 'dad' in his life isn't up for grabs; it's reserved, and he isn't ready to give it up. Not now.

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Please review!


	13. Emma

**A/N:** Two drabbles for you tonight; one for yesterday, and one for today. Here, now, I give you Emma!

(Sorry that I refer to her boyfriend as 'the dentist', but I don't know his name :P.)

And sorry Wemma shippers, it's more angst for Em and Will that it is fluff. But it's definitely Wemma, not Emma/Whoever-The-Dentist-Is.

Hope you enjoy!

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**Emma P.** _Set after 'Journey'._

She feels bad about it. He's a really good guy, and he's supportive of her . . . _condition_ (which, by the way, is slowly improving with the help of a proper psychiatrist; no more help from Sue). Plus, being a dentist, he understands proper hygiene, unlike her ex-fiancé. But she finds herself comparing him. His eyes are blue (wrong), his hair is too light and too straight, he's too tall. He smile isn't crooked enough. He isn't passionate enough about anything; (dental care, vs. teaching). It's all just _wrong_.

And when she thinks about how he's all wrong, she thinks about her Mr. Right. How his eyes are a light hazel-y green; the caramel-y brown tint of his curly hair; his adorable, crooked grin. His . . .

But no; she stops herself. Because that line of thinking is unacceptable. If she keeps thinking about him, she can't move one. And she _has_ to move on. She's sure of it.

(Only, she's pretty – no, _very_ – sure that she doesn't want to.

She's actually almost certain that she never wants to move on from him. She wants to be with him, and she wants to love him. She already does, in a way. But she wants to love him the right way. She wants to be with him with nothing stopping them from being together.)

She wants _him_; plain and simple.

Only it's not so simple, because – even though she knows from what he told her that he loves her – she can't stop misguided insecurities telling her that he _doesn't_. That she's just a sideline in between people like Shelby and April.

And those fears make her stay with Carl.

(Even though he's all wrong.)

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Please review!

(Just updated; apparently his name is Carl. Thanks Maggie!)


	14. Kurt

**A/N:** Here is Kurt! It doesn't focus on his issues, but it's the best I could do. And I still like it, and I hope you do too!

With this, I wrap up the first set! I have done all of my regulars now, and - as in the first drabble installment - I will throw in some others, but these are mainly it. Not sure who to do tomorrow . . . any ideas? I wanna hear 'em. Anonymous Reviews are enabled, so drop me a line whether you have an account or not!

Hope you like!

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**Kurt H.**_ Set after 'Hell-O'._

He's not over Finn. Not really. He still has some crazy plans up his sleeve, but deep down he knows that he's never had a chance with Finn, and he never really will.

And he's probably going to be with best friends with Rachel Berry, especially when Mercedes has that spot filled perfectly, but he respects her – however grudgingly – as an artist, and as a person. Doesn't _like_ her, but respects her.)

So he can see the Rachel/Finn situation clearly. Or at least as clearly as anyone can.

And it's obvious that Rachel's putting 110% into the relationship, and Finn is putting in about 4%. Maybe 6%, but he'll digress. And in normal math, 114% (or a 116%) would represent more than a whole, which would symbolize something running efficiently, perhaps. But it doesn't work like that in a relationship.

Especially when the lesser contributing party is hung up on a third, external party. That means relationship goes bye-bye. And the main contributing factor, especially one giving more than 100% to the now non-existent relationship is left with an abnormally large heartache, and a boatload of insecurities.

Kurt, while not part of it, can see from the sidelines how Finn's 'finding his inner rock star' crushes Rachel. And like aforementioned, he doesn't like her; but he doesn't hate her (anymore) and doesn't wish such heartache on her, or anyone.

He actually feels kind of happy for her when he hears that she's found someone else, who is apparently perfect for her; (a little jealous, but mostly happy).

It's a happiness that disappears instantly when he hears Rachel's new beau's name.

Because their star (he grudgingly accepts that she _is_ their star) going out with the lead of their main competition? That is _not_ kosher in the show choir world. It's unacceptable, and it has to stop; immediately.

He stands by while Mercedes leads the intervention, putting his two cents in. He honestly believes that in this case, St. James is using her as a means to an end; an end that involves New Directions running into the ground. And that's not something he can let happen.

(He feels bad about it, because even he doesn't think that Rachel deserves to have her happiness destroyed.

He tries to make himself feel better by saying that it's preserving her happiness in the long run.

But the churning feeling in his gut won't disappear.)

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Please review!


	15. Artie 2

**A/N:** Sorry I didn't get this up last night, but I was hit by a sudden onset of exhaustion that overcame me and this morning inspiration for it evaded me. But here he is.

I give you, **Sharkwoman**, Artie!

It's short, but sweet, I think. Hope you enjoy!

(P.S. Up next, tonight, for **LuvMeSumGlee**, is Jesse.)

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**Artie A.** _Set after 'Dream On'._

He remembers before. (His whole life is categorized that way: before and after. It's hard to not do; it's easy to label events by when they happen in a lifetime. He just has a much more prominent break in the timeline of his life than most people do.)

He remembers listening to music, all the time; remembers moving to it before he had any coordination. (He was a clumsy kid.) He remembers watching music videos on MTV; MJ, the Backstreet Boys, and N'SYNC – he saw it all. He was fascinated. He loved watching the way their bodies moved with the music, building with the crescendos, coming down with the diminuendos. Flowing in a way he wanted to capture and recreate.

So he did. He re-watched videos and manipulated his body in ways he didn't know he could.

He dreamed of being just like them, dancing and singing, when he grew up.

Now, however (in the after category of his life), he has to deal with the fact that only half of that dream can ever come true.

(And no pathetic tap wheels or unrealistic 'miracle cures' are going to change that.)

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Please review!


	16. Jesse

**A/N:** As promised, here is Jesse! And what was the best thing to write about for him? Funk, of course! I LOVED writing this, I'm not gonna lie. I love getting into my version of Jesse St. James. The one who has feelings, and isn't a douche bag. Something in me will always love him a little bit, even after everything.

I hope you like it as much as I do!

(P.S. Any suggestions as to who I should do next, and what about? Lemme know!)

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**Jesse St. J.** _Set after 'Funk'._

He's not a heartless bastard.

Really, he isn't.

A bastard he is, yes. But he's not heartless. In fact, his reasoning for everything he's done as of late revolves around the fact that he does, indeed, have a heart; (much to his surprise, actually).

He wasn't supposed to feel anything for her. He was supposed to befriend her, and get her searching for her birthmother. That's it. And he did his job. He 'befriended' her (and more), and she ended up finding Shelby (though he wonders if that did more harm than good; he knows Rachel's crushed that Shelby doesn't want to be a part of her life, after all).

Along the way, though, he'd broken the cardinal rule. He fell for his target; seriously fell head-over-heels.

He knew he was in too deep when he found himself paying more attention to her (her face, her eyes, her lips, her hair) than anything else. He knew when he realized he'd do anything for this girl; _his_ girl. His girl with her killer voice, drama queen tendencies, her beautiful smile, long rants, long list of insecurities, and carefully crafted façade he'd been able to see through almost immediately.

Honestly?

It scared the crap out of him.

He's Jesse St. James. Vocal Adrenaline's Golden Boy for four years running, and holder of three consecutive National titles. He's been in singing competitions since the age of four, and has won 99.9% of them (and that asshole, Jeremiah Dunstall, totally sabotaged his performance that one time). He's used to being a soulless automaton.

So to fall in love; to experience something he's never experienced before? To enter uncharted waters without significant knowledge or research of what he was to encounter along the ride?

It was a frightening thought.

One that had him immediately trashing any ideas he may or may not have had about staying at McKinley until he graduated, and had him running for the hills (or, rather, Carmel High School).

(He never wanted to egg her; it was some sick sort of re-initiation that Giselle came up with for him, and it hurt him more than he'd care to admit to watch her being pelted by those eggs.

And he felt his heart crack, the pieces falling into his gut as he cracked the final egg on her head.)

There's more truth to his final words than he'll ever admit to himself. Aside from the past-tense he uses when he says "love_d_", which is completely inaccurate despite what he tells himself.

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Please review!


	17. Santana 2

**A/N:** When I sat down to write tonight's drabble about half-an-hour ago, I was hit by a sudden case of brain freeze and writers block. I couldn't think of a single good thing to write about anyone relating to an episode. So this on is set just throughout the season, unspecified. Probably more towards the end, but point is it's just kind of random.

I thought it would turn out horribly . . . but I actually kind of like it. Hope you do to!

(Who do you want to see next?)

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**Santana L.**_ Set mid-season, unspecified._

She's never been a big stickler for the rules. And she doesn't have to worry about missing a little class, because Coach has the kind of pull at McKinley school that makes blemishes like that on a student's record miraculously disappear. And she's smart, so she aces all of her tests and exams anyways.

Sometimes she just needs some time to think, so she ditches class (usually Spanish, because _hello_, Latina here. English is her second language) and sits on the bleachers. It's nice to just sit at the top, breathing in the all-too-familiar Lima air and thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

It's the only time at school that she feels like just Santana (except maybe in Glee). Usually she's Santana Lopez, HBIC (ever since Q got knocked up), head Cheerio, and most-likely-to-call-you-out-on-who-you-are. (What can she say? She's calls 'em like she sees 'em; consequences be damned. And because she is who she is, there usually aren't any consequences. Other than people thinking she's an even bigger bitch that she already was, and she doesn't care about that so much. Because she's not going to be stuck in this town all her life; she'll get out if she has to rob a bank and hitchhike to LA. And high school doesn't matter in the real world, anyway.)

She likes how it feels to be just Santana.

(She thinks for a long time about how wrong it is that being herself doesn't feel like the norm anymore. It's nice . . . but not familiar.)

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Please review!


	18. Rambles

**A/N:** Some Cherry fluff, because this is all I could come up for Saturday's drabble.

And I couldn't think of what Rachel should rant about, so I got her ranting about the Golden Globes and the category that Lea Michele was nominated in! Lol, so yeah.

And I have once again abandoned my basic drabble structure, only a lot earlier than in the previous installment. Oh well. The next one IS back to normal structure, but the one after isn't. So it'll be pretty back and forth for a while, depending on whether I can relate it to the actual episodes.

Hope you enjoy! Sunday's will be up in a moment. Today's a little while after that.

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" . . . and while, of course, I am willing to award merit where merit is due, and she is a very talented actress, I just don't feel that Toni Collette deserved to win the Golden Globe over the other actresses in that particular category."

A fact about Rachel Berry is, when she gets nervous she tends to ramble on . . . and on . . . and on . . . and on. While she is quite aware of this flaw, she is at a loss to stop it. Wish as she might that something might happen on past her and just consume her and save her from the humiliation she no doubt bestows upon herself, she is usually doomed to continue rambling until her audience walks away or someone with a talent for shutting her up decides to take mercy upon her.

"Personally I found Courtney Cox's performance in Cougar Town much more representative of pure acting talent. Or Lea Michele's breakthrough in that new show she's on. I don't know why . . ."

Thank heavens, someone willing to intervene.

"Rachel," Mike whispers in her ear, suddenly a lot closer than she remembers him previously being.

"Mhmm?" she responds, at a miraculous loss for words.

"You talk too much."

And then his lips are on her, and she thinks that this just might be her favorite shushing method.

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Please review!


	19. Will 2

**A/N:** I think I like this one . . . actually, I like this last one, this one, and the next one! Wow, three in a row. I think that's a record for ones I haven't despised!

Hope you enjoy!

(Next one up ASAP, promise.)

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**Will S.**_ Set after 'Funk'._

When Puck and Finn get caught slashing the tires of Vocal Adrenaline's cars, he's disappointed. Because he'd like to think that he's taught them better than that. He knows that Puck was quite the delinquent; and sometimes still is. But he'd thought that the rash boy had been making internal progress, especially with Baby Beth on the way.

Though he can admit that he doesn't feel too bad for the actual damage when he finds out that every member of the opposing team had been given Range Rovers through the school; especially when he himself comes from a school where they have to fundraise every cent they need for costumes, stage make-up, buses, etc. Doesn't mean he doesn't think the act is wrong . . . just means he doesn't feel bad for the inconvenience to the Range Rover owners.

(He's extremely grateful to Shelby for her leniency, and the lack of criminal charges his students face.)

And later on, when he walks into the choir room to see Rachel describing her egging (he's going to be having some strict words with Shelby about her club's antics, because egging? That is simply _not_ acceptable, at all. In fact, it's wrong on so many levels that he doesn't even know where to begin) and the guys heading for the door.

He knows that the guys are going about revenge in the wrong way. Violence isn't the answer, no matter what Puck thinks. But he's oddly touched by the sentiment; because he can tell that Rachel has a hard time fitting in, even (maybe especially) in Glee, and most of the time it looks as though the others can't stand her. So seeing Puck, Finn, Mike, Matt, Kurt, and Artie all so quick to jump to her defense is actually quite heart-warming.

Kurt's comment only takes away from the value of it slightly.

(Because not even they should be torturing her; but he figures that an order of business for another day.)

Now he just has to get them back on the funky train, destination 1st place at Regionals!

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Please review!


	20. Kisses & Earrings

**A/N:** This one just kinda came to me, and I think it's really adorable.

And sorry it was up last night, but I was much more tired than I thought I was and ended up falling asleep before I could post it.

I hope you enjoy!

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"Hey, Brittany?"

The blonde Cheerio in question looked up in the direction of the voice, coming face to face with Tina. She discreetly took a step away from the Asian; well, as discreetly as she could manage. Because even though Mike explained to her that Tina isn't _really_ a vampire, she was still kind of wary. Because she liked her blood where it was, in her body; and Santana told her she tastes good, so she didn't want to tempt the Goth.

"Hi," she responded, going back to looking in her locker for her earrings.

"Um, I was wondering if you could tell me something." Brittany looked up again, surprised to see Tina's jaw stiff and her eyes slightly red. At first she was afraid it means that she was hungry . . . you know, for blood. But then she realized that the other girl was just upset.

Brittany doesn't like people to be upset. She's a generally happy person, and likes everyone around her to be happy too. If people around are sad, it makes her sad. And she doesn't like the heavy feeling she gets in the bottom of her gut when she's sad. The feeling she was getting then.

So she wanted to make Tina feel better.

She nodded to the shorter girl, a signal for her to continue.

"You said that . . . you said that making out with Kurt gave you a perfect record." Brittany nodded. "And that . . . and that means that you made out with Artie, yes?"

Brittany paused.

"Um, yeah, I did."

Tina exhaled slowly. "Um, do you remember when?"

Brittany thought again, long and hard, before her eyes lit up and she nodded vigorously. "Yeah!"

A pause. "Could you tell me when?"

"Sure! It was, uh . . . the pre-Sectionals party. He looked kind of upset. I mean, I guess everyone was kind of upset, because Mr. Schue wasn't going to be coming. But he was sitting in the kitchen, looking all lost. You were . . . uh; you were over on the couch with Mercedes, I think, where he was staring.

"And I didn't want him to be upset, because I don't like people to be all upset. So I kissed him. And he started kissing back." Brittany finished, finding her earrings with a "Ha!"

Distracted, she didn't notice the shocked look on Tina's face. She just continued.

"It was weird, though, because when I pulled away his eyes were closed and he mumbled 'Tina'."

Brittany walks away then, without explanation, to go to Cheerios practice.

If she hadn't been so elated at finding her earrings, she might have seen the look on Tina's face. As it was, she didn't see the brilliant smile and soft expression in her eyes.

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Please review!

(What do you want for today's drabble?)


	21. Noah 2

**A/N: **So, this is what my mind came up with just a couple minutes ago. I started writing a Kurt/Quinn friendship drabble about an hour ago, but soon is was approaching 700 words with no sign of stopping soon, so it is now a oneshot that will be up tonight or tomorrow. (I knew once I reached 1000 words that it was too long for a drabble, and awesome enough to post separately.)

This is just some Puckleberry goodness from Puck's POV, outlining his transformation from a commitment-phobe.

Hope you enjoy!

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He's never been a relationship kind of guy.

He used to the whole 'bang 'em and leave 'em' concept, choosing to keep things impersonal and all about sex most of the time; and never waiting around until morning.

The first time he let feelings into the mix was with Quinn and look where that got him; nowhere good, that's for sure. It ended in heartbreak for him and a baby girl that'll never know how much he loves her. He opened his heart to her that day in the hospital, standing outside the nursery. And a couple weeks later, she stomped on it and left him down and bleeding.

It was a long time after that that he managed to properly pick himself back up and dust himself off. And longer after that until he decided to be 'foolish' again, in his own opinion, and let his emotions rule his actions.

That time he hasn't regretted; not one bit.

But even after he dropped the 'I love you' bomb on Rachel (in their small apartment in New York, shortly before she graduated from Julliard), he wasn't too keen on more commitment than the relationship they had.

He knows it frustrates her sometimes, but she dealt with it well and accepted it as part of him.

So now, as he's holding her close to him as sunlight shines in through a crack between the curtains on their bedroom window, the taxis sputtering and honking 11 stories below, he's freaking the fuck out internally.

Because all of a sudden, he found himself thinking, 'I could get used to waking up to this every morning'. And that kind of thinking is foreign to him. He's not ready for a lifetime commitment, right?

But . . . maybe he is. Because he can't even imagine doing this with anyone but Rachel, or without her; and the thought of her doing anything like with someone else fills him with a strange kind of rage he's only ever felt in relation to her.

And now, he can't get images of her in a flowing white dress, walking towards him with a dad on either side, out of his head. And he doesn't mind it.

And fuck, all he can think now is that he desperately needs a ring, as soon as possible.

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Please review!

(What do want for tomorrow's drabble?)


	22. Mercedes 2

**A/N:** This is Wednesday's drabble! I'm so, so sorry for the constant delays, everyone. But I will always make it up to you, no matter what.

I was really sad writing this . . . (I'll explain more at the bottom.)

Hope you enjoy!

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It's been ten years since Mercedes stepped foot in McKinley high school. She worked her ass off during her senior year, both in class and at her part-time job so she could book it out of Lima after graduation and make a name for herself in Chicago.

And she did. She majored in fashion at the University of Chicago, and saved up enough to lease a small shop on the best street she could afford. She designs all of the clothing she sells, and is proud to have a smashin' line dedicated to those who wear plus sizes. Her business does well.

Now she's come back, at Mr. Schue's invitation, to attend an event honoring and celebrating him in light of upcoming departure from Lima. He and Mrs. Schuester (nee Pillsbury) are moving to Columbus to teach at a high school dedicated to the arts.

She's happy for Mr. Schue . . . but excited for another reason, because she hasn't seen some of Glee mates since her (or their) graduation, and those she has seen after she hasn't seen for at least three years.

That silly childhood notion, that you'll remain best friends forever? It's not very realistic. She's still closest to Kurt out of everyone, and even their phone calls are becoming fewer and farther between. NYC and Chicago are quite far for regular visits, and they both have their own lives and relationships with people closer (geographically) to them to balance. Their friendship isn't the same as it was in high school.

And that night, as she recounts old memories from their 'Glee Glory Days', as Mike (who's a professional choreographer in LA now) is quick to dub their high school years, she's not nearly as comfortable as she's thought she'd be.

Because these aren't the same people she knew in high school . . . and at points she can't help but feel as though she's talking to complete strangers. (For example, watching Santana rest a wedding ring-adorned hand on top of a baby bump; or Puck shamelessly pass along pictures of his 'little rug rats', while Rachel lightly smacks his arm for referring to their children as such; or Brittany correctly explain the Hippocratic Oath to Finn – and who ever thought she'd turn out to be a psychiatric genius.)

Truth is . . . all she can think about is getting back home to her apartment and the loving arms of Jeremy, her hopefully-soon-to-be-fiancé; back to her friends and her business and her life.

She can't even begin to explain how much it saddens her that she seems to have outgrown the connection to the self she was at sixteen and the people she'd once considered her second-family.

But, she supposes that's life.

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**A/N(2):** You don't know how many times I wanted to make this all fluffy, about how after ten years they all still clicked and felt like family . . . but I tried to be realistic, and it turned out really sad for me.

But I was thinking about my elementary school friends . . . and how close we aren't anymore. (And it hasn't been as much time as I made it for the Gleeks.) So it had to be written this way.

Hope you liked it anyways!

Please review!


	23. Shelby

**A/N:** Here's Thursday's drabble. Again, sorry for the delay.

This one's sad too, but when I started I knew it had to be, so I don't feel as bad about it ;). It's from Shelby's point of view, during 'Theatricality', after her meeting with Rachel.

I really enjoyed writing this; hope you enjoy reading it as much!

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It was supposed to be . . . perfect, somehow.

How, she doesn't know. But she knows that it was supposed to feel right. She was supposed to run and hug her daughter and feel something . . . motherly. The mother-daughter bond was supposed to be there.

But it wasn't.

And now, as she sits behind the stage curtain, head in her hands after she ran out on her daughter, she knows it was foolish to expect an already existing bond between them. It clicked after Rachel let slip about her dads bringing her water; that the bond between child and parent is something worked towards, something earned. That it's not a given.

And she wants that kind of bond. She wants to earn it, to learn every little insignificant (and somehow oh-so-significant) quirk and detail (so many of which she already thinks come from herself) of her little girl. But that's just it; Rachel isn't her little girl anymore (not that she was ever hers to have). She's almost an adult. She doesn't need her now, not the way she desperately needs to be needed.

The thought of getting to know her now – of learning about everything that she missed out on and Mr. and Mr. Berry were around to witness – terrifies her. She can't even image the pain it would cause deep within her. She already hurts enough at the thought that she barely knows a thing about her baby girl; but to be constantly reminded of that . . . she doesn't think she could handle it.

As she resolves to separate herself from her daughter, to refrain from causing them both more pain than necessary when Rachel is doing so fine on her own, she ignores the empty pang in the bottom of her gut.

It doesn't occur to her that by walking away, she's causing Rachel more pain. It doesn't occur to her that Rachel needs her a lot more than even she knows; that perhaps she needs her more now than she ever did before. It doesn't occur to her that what could possibly be her only chance of connecting with her daughter is passing her by.

It doesn't occur to her, as she gets into her car in the Carmel High parking lot, that Rachel might still be in the auditorium, head buried into her knees, crying.

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Please review!


	24. Santana 3

**A/N:** Finally, today's drabble!

This has been bouncing around in my mind for a little while, and it turned out different than I expected . . . but IMHO, better than I expected, too. So that's a plus.

Hope you enjoy!

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She learned young, from her father, that fairytales are crap.

That the world is not a kind place, full of pretty girls in big dresses dancing around and singing with birds. That waiting around for Prince Charming to come and find her would be a big mistake, because Prince Charming doesn't exist; also, there are no knights in shining armor, only retards wrapped in tin foil. And that 'happily ever after' is a sick joke designed to give girls unrealistic expectations in their lives.

That last one she figured out for herself, at the tender age of nine, as she stood on too-green grass in a simple black dress, trying to hide the tears rolling down her cheeks as her mom's casket was lowered into the ground, desperately wishing that her dad was beside her so she could wrap her arms around him and bury her face in her suit jacket.

Standing there, while everyone else started walking away back to their cars to head to the wake, she remembered of watching 'Cinderella' the week before, thinking as she stared at the fresh pile of earth over top of her mother, _Where was her happy ending, huh? She didn't get one, did she? What a sick joke._

Ever since, she's been free of such silly expectations or beliefs.

(She tries to convince herself that she isn't looking for her Prince Charming every time she fucks another boy. She's _not_.)

So when he came into her life, with his kind smiles and quiet nature, she drew upon everything she knew about fairytales: that they're crap, that they don't exist; that Prince Charming is make-believe.

She refuses to believe, every time he wraps his arms around her and it just feels _right_, that he's her Prince Charming. Because Prince Charming doesn't exist, and even if he did, what had she ever done to deserve one?

So she settles for the fact that he isn't her Prince Charming, he's just Matt; her Matt.

(But she can never help but think, wistfully, as she watches him, that if Prince Charming did exist, he'd be exactly like her man.)

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**A/N(2):** I freely admit to liking Brittana and occasionally Santana/Puck, but I'll always have a soft spot for Mattana. Because Santana so tough and he's so . . . _Matt_ that they just make sense to me. Anyways, hope you liked!

Please review!


	25. Quinn 2

**A/N:** Another delay. Sorry. Here's Saturday's drabble!

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She feels . . . empty.

Before, she'd thought that it would nice to feel like this. To not be carrying extra weight around her midsection; to no longer feel like a whale. And in a way she likes not being as large as her very own continent.

But mostly she doesn't like the emptiness. Because it's a hollow one, full of regret and missed opportunities. She misses having her daughter close. Feeling her kick inside of her; even having her pressed against her bladder, causing her to need to use the restroom at least three times during one period. She misses her baby.

And it's not that she exactly wishes that her little girl was still inside of her, because she's glad those nine months are over . . .

(But she thinks that, maybe, she'd be willing to be pregnant with her still . . . that it'd be worth it, if it meant having her baby close to her again.)

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**A/N(2):** Shorter than I've been giving you lately, and I'm sorry for that. But I just had to write this, and this is how it turned out. Hope you liked it! Yesterday's and today's drabbles will be up later today, promise.

Please update soon!


	26. Dear Rachel,

**A/N:** Yesterday's drabble, up now! This is a letter sent to Rachel from Jesse the beginning of December after season 1 ends.

* * *

_Dear Rachel,_

_I'm sorry._

_There, I said it. Or, wrote it, at least. I wish I could have said it to you then . . . before I cracked that egg on your head; before Vocal Adrenaline won at Regionals; before I got on that plane to California._

_I don't know what would have happened. I mean, I'd still be here in L.A., obviously. A scholarship like this would be crazy to pass up. But maybe I'd be looking forward to seeing you at Christmas break, or talking to you on the phone. Instead of sitting alone in my dorm, with nothing to look forward over the Christmas holidays other than my parents' various dinner parties. Maybe we would've worked out as a couple; and if we hadn't, I'd like to think that we would've worked out as friends. Maybe I'd be out with someone else right now, having had the opportunity to get over you properly and move on without comparing every girl who flirts with me to you._

_(Maybe I don't have the right to be hung up on you, after everything. But that doesn't change the fact that I am.)_

_You're amazing, did you know that? I didn't tell you that nearly as much as I should have while we were together. And I loved you; I told you that, I did. But at the time, it wasn't the truth. I felt deeply for you, that much I knew, but I don't think it was love until the end. And by then when I told you, more honest with you than I'd ever been before with anyone in my life, it was too late._

_But I did love you; and don't you ever forget that._

_Sometimes I think that I still do._

_Those times when I think of you – think of your smile, and your hair, and your smell, and your voice, and your personality, and how you could barely go five minutes without talking or singing, and how you tended to act like a drama queen (though, to be fair, no more than I was a drama king) – I'm almost certain._

_I never understood how Finn and . . . gosh, I don't remember his name, but the one with the Mohawk . . . could be over you. How they could _not_ be still completely infatuated with you. Though, to be fair, Finn might've been. I never liked him much, for obvious reasons of course._

_You're going to make it big, of that much I'm certain. I was being honest when I told you that being a star is not so much a dream as the inevitable for you. One day, your name's going to be up in lights; and you'll be winning Tonys left and right, taking the entire music world by storm. You and your amazing voice are going to wow the world, Rachel Berry. You're going to show them all what you're made of, and it's more than just some small town dreams. It's big city talent. And more heart than I ever had; more than anyone I've ever known. You're it, Rachel._

_And when you're up there stunning the world, I'll be watching. When you forget the little people, and the pain I caused you is nothing but a distant memory, I'll be in the audience, cheering you on and proudly saying, 'I knew Rachel Berry when I was a teenager. Before you'd ever heard of her, I knew she was going places.'_

_I'm going to be so proud of you, Rach. I already am._

_Don't ever forget that you're a star._

_I love you._

_Jesse_

[He never sent that letter. But he flew often to New York, no matter what was going on, and saw every opening show she was in, as well as every Tony awards in which she had a nomination (which was many of them). And when the curtain fell down, or she was awarded the Tony, he clapped the hardest of anyone ever in attendance.]

_

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_

**A/N(2):** This one came to me, and I absolutely loved writing it. And I'm pretty proud of how it turned out! Hope you like it too!

Today's is coming, I promise.

Please review!


	27. Pride & Unlikely Friendship

**A/N:** Aaaaaaan, here's today's!

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Rachel's Dad has always had reason to be proud of his daughter: for her talent, for her perseverance, for her desire to help those in need, for her willingness to leave the past in the past and ability to see the good in everyone.

Like when she got up in front of a thousand people at the age of seven, and sang her heart out (in his opinion, almost putting Barbra to shame – but he might be a little biased). Or when she decided to learn gymnastics, and never stopped getting up when she feel flat on her face . . . again, and again, and again; (some might call it sheer stubbornness, but he knew better).

And lest he forget when Rachel, at the tender age of nine, dragged him to the car and told him (_told_, not asked; after all, this is Rachel Berry) that they were going to volunteer at the local food bank. When he'd asked her why she'd decided to do so, she'd told him, with all the innocence of a child, 'Because, Daddy. No one should go hungry, especially at Hanukkah; even if they celebrate Christmas.'

But now – watching her sitting in the living room, laughing and joking, watching 'PS I Love You', and painting her toenails alongside Santana Lopez, whom she'd brought home days before, covered in slushie – he doesn't think he's ever been prouder.

He knows his baby is amazing; but even he'd never have imagined that she'd be able to see past the girl's previous cruelty and become her best friend.

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**A/N(2):** Started out as Proud Papa Berry, and turned into eventual Pezberry friendship. Eh, I'm not complaining ;).

Hope you enjoy!

(Any requests for tomorrow?)

Please review!


	28. Not Her Type

**A/N:** This one is for stardust923, who requested some Mikel (or Cherry, as I call them) and Matchel. Well, here's some of the latter! Hope you enjoy!

[Any suggestions or requests for tomorrow's drabble? Seriously, people, _**PLEASE**_! Now I'm begging you. ;)]

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She never thought he was her type.

Finn was, and Jesse was. Noah wasn't, but she's happy to skim over those 8 days where they used each other with ulterior motives and keep him as her best friend in her thoughts. She thinks they make sense as friends, in a twisted way. He keeps her from getting high strung, and she keeps him out of trouble.

But Noah's beside the point.

She never thought Matt was her type. He's quiet, and neutral, and pretty content to remain in the background. Finn isn't quiet – he's always babbling about something (not in the same way she does), though it doesn't always make sense; no one could call Noah _neutral_ – no, he's very opinionated about everything, whether he knows what it is or not; and Jesse St. James, content to fade into the scenery? _Ha_; when pigs fly, maybe – but probably not even then.

They hadn't even really spoken, ever, unless to tweak their movements when paired together for choreography.

Not until yesterday, when he'd come up to her after practice and shyly asked her out.

She's ashamed to admit it (even to herself), but she'd accepted mainly because guys don't really show interest in her – ever – and she wasn't going let an opportunity pass her by for no good reason. (Probably not _even_ for a good reason.)

Now, she's pretty happy that she said yes. Because as they walk around the park, her hand entwined in his, she's pretty sure that this makes #1 first date in her books. (Which isn't actually saying much, because she doesn't think the bowling alley with Finn counted; and Noah much preferred making out to going out; and whether singing with Jesse in a music store or going to that Wiggles concert was her first date with Jesse doesn't matter because neither of them was that special, in all honesty.)

But, anyways, it's been pretty amazing. It was just dinner, and now a walk. She's dominated the conversation, and he's mostly just smiled and nodded . . . but what little he's said has been full of insight and intelligence. And he's been sweet, and she's had fun.

And it's . . . nice. It's nice, and uncomplicated, and that's such a relief after the romance blunders that her year has been riddled with. It's easy to be with him, walking hand in hand in a park, away from the rest of the world.

She's pretty sure he's not her type; actually, she's almost positive.

But she thinks that that isn't such a bad thing, after all.

In fact, it might just be the best part.

* * *

Please review!


	29. Star Wars vs Star Trek

**A/N: **A Quartie friendship drabble, for Sharkwoman!

Hope you enjoy!

[Any requests?]

* * *

"You're such a dork," Quinn says, laughing and ruffling Artie's hair.

He takes on a mock offended look, scooting a little bit closer to her on the couch. "I don't know what you're talking about," he says, hiding a small smile as he pokes her in the ribs.

"Yeah," she rolls her eyes, "right. You just pretend like we didn't just watch Star Wars 4, 5 & 6 because you went all spastic when I said I'd never seen it."

"You didn't say that!" he says, trying to defend himself. "You asked if it was basically the same thing as Star Trek, which is basically sacrilege!" He doesn't notice the amused look on her face or the fact that he's proving her point. "And technically, it was 1, 2 & 3. They might not be chronologically before the others, but they came out first. They're the originals."

He looks over at her as she lets loose the laugh she couldn't keep in any longer. "See?" she says between giggles. "You just proved my point!"

"Yeah, well," he says, trying to think of a defense and failing, "maybe." He chuckles himself. "Anyways, do you see the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek now?"

"Nope," she confesses. "I've never actually seen Star Trek."

She giggles again as he rest his face against his palm, and mutters, "Of course you haven't."

* * *

Please review!


	30. Prejudice & Daisies

**Disclaimer: **Glee is, unfortunately, not mine.

**A/N:** This one ends up sad in a way, yet still kind of happy. Not sure how I like it, lol.

Give it up for some Brittana!

Hope you like!

[Any requests?]

-0-0-

It's the end of the summer, always a sad time for high school students. (Except, perhaps, if you're Rachel Berry; but then again, with nothing to look forward to but ridicule and slushies in the face, perhaps not even then.)

Santana's sitting in the park, back against a big oak tree, looking down on a pond in front of a forest, watching the sun sink down below the tips of the evergreens and maples and oaks. Brittany's lying down with her head in the Latina's lap, who's gently running her fingers through the blonde's hair.

"I'm gonna miss this," Santana says quietly, looking down at the blonde.

"Mhmm," Brittany responds, as she pulls the petals off of a daisy and watches them float in the wind before finally landing on the green grass. "It's nice to just lie in the grass, and watch the chipmunks … listen to the birds."

Her voice is dreamy as a smile comes to rest on her face, and Santana smiles back, the blonde's moods utterly contagious.

"I don't like being stuck in classrooms all day," she continues. "The teachers don't make much sense."

Santana nods, adding, "And I'll miss all the time spent with you."

Brittany's brow furrows and she grabs the Latina's hand, gently kissing it. "We'll still be together, everyday. What's the difference?"

Santana sighs, knowing it's pointless to explain her thoughts to Brittany. These past months have been wonderful, with just them. Free to be themselves together … away from whispering mouths and judgmental eyes. Able to love without prejudiced opinions condemning them.

"Nothing," she replies, looking back at the sunset. Brittany's satisfied with her answer, and goes back to picking apart her daisy.

Looking out on the scene before her – both the nature, and the girl she loves – it's easy to believe that maybe it'll be different. That maybe people will accept them as they are.

(Even if, deep down, she knows her hopes are in vain.)

-0-0-

Please review!


	31. Listening

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee in any way, shape, or form. (Except all the sound tracks and DVDs.)

**A/N:** Sorry it's been so long! Went away for the weekend (and had an amazing time) at a rustic cabin with not electricity or running water. Definitely no internet, lol.

I'll try to get two more up tonight, and two tomorrow to even it all out again.

Here is Friday's drabbles, some Finchel at the request of Miss Slomojo.

Hope you enjoy!

-0-0-

Finn tends to zone out when Rachel's talking.

He kinda feels bad about it, but he finds it hard to listen to her talking about the Tony awards and the song she's in love with for the week for long periods of time.

He's fairly content to just sit beside her, though, as she leans her head against his shoulder and blathers on about whatever she talks about. He likes just looking down at her, and watching her eyes shine and her lips move. He finds it adorable how enthusiastic she is about … just about anything. He chimes in with the occasional 'mhmm' and head nod, even if he isn't sure anymore what she's talking about.

At first he thought that he was succeeding at making her think he listens to her all the time, but now he knows that she sees through it. Because sometimes she'll just stop talking, roll her eyes, and kiss him. (It surprised him the first time; in a good way.)

He loves that about her. That she understands that it's not that he doesn't care. He actually does care, a lot … about the little things.

Like the way her eyebrows scrunch up when she's confused; the way her smile quirks up at one side when she's talking about her dads; the way her eyes shine the brightest when ever she's talking about music.

They way she rolls her eyes, and kisses him.

He doesn't listen to all the words she says … but he notices the important things.

-0-0-

Pretty please review!


	32. Glasses & Apologies

**Disclaimer:** Glee is _still_ not mine. ;)

**A/N:** This is Saturday's drabble!

I have a wicked sunburn on my shoulder/shoulder blades/back that kills every time I press the keyboard, but still I'm typing away! One more tonight, promise.

Here is some Puck/Artie friendship for Sharkwoman! Seriously, you're awesome, thanks for reviewing so faithfully!

Can be seen as the lead-up to romance, I guess ... but it's not intended that way, lol. But see it as you wish.

Hope you enjoy!

-0-0-

_Ugh_, Artie thinks to himself as he wheels around slowly, for all intents and purposes blind. _Dumb jocks._ Why they find amusement in stealing the glasses of a cripple he will never understand. All he knows is that it sucks to wheel around and wait to hear the crunch of glass indicating that he's found them.

He sighs, slowly wheeling himself around and waiting. _At least they never take the glasses far_, he thinks to himself, shaking his head slightly at the fact that _that_ is the bright side in his situation.

He's still searching five minutes later when he hears footsteps behind him. He tenses and closes his eyes, expecting another cruel jock. The footsteps stop, and he hears the grass rustling slightly. The footsteps start again before stopping beside him. His eyes remain closed until he feels something gently land in his lap. He opens his eyes, and just barely makes out his glasses lying in his lap.

The corners of his mouth quirk up a little bit as he puts them on, but his guard isn't down yet. For all he knows, the person who just returned his glasses could be planning something worse that he wanted him able to see for.

He's completely shocked when he looks up to see the familiar Mohawk of Noah Puckerman.

The silence is long. This is the guy who once wanted to tip over a port-a-potty with him inside of it, after all; the previous ring-leader in most things cruel.

But at the same time … he's also the guy who joined Glee, likes to sing, and absolutely _shreds_ at guitar. That's one thing Artie can't help but have respect for, even in a (former) bully. And also: _former_. Puck hasn't done anything to him since … well, since he joined Glee.

The silence is uncomfortable, and he feels like he should at least express his gratitude for the return of his glasses. "Thanks," Artie says, quietly, adjusting his glasses slightly on his nose and offering a small smile.

Puck nods a little, stuffing his hands in his pockets. His jaw is set, and his eyes are conflicted. Finally, he sighs lightly, and opens his mouth. "I'm really sorry," he bursts out, looking away quickly and looking back, "for everything. The slushies, the port-a-potties, stealing your wheelchair that one time, and all the times I took your glasses. I just … I'm sorry." He looks away again, his cheeks tinged slightly pink.

Artie just sits – stunned – for a couple moments after the surprising apology. Then, he nods. "Um, thanks. For the apology, and for the glasses." He doesn't know what to say. Sure, the apology is nice – and maybe a little overdue, but the fact that Puck is apologizing at all is amazing enough that he doesn't hold a grudge over the time period – and he's not bitter, but forgiveness doesn't come immediately. He doesn't even bother to offer his forgiveness at the moment, because it wouldn't be genuine.

Maybe one day it will be, but not yet. 'Sorry' is just a word, even coming from someone who probably doesn't say it too often.

And even if it was, it doesn't make them best friends or anything all of sudden. Not even 'just friends'. There has to be effort for that, and the next step of a proper apology: action.

-0-0-

The next day, Artie sees the ringleader of the guys who took his glasses most recently with a split lip and a black eye. Later, he sees the torn skin of Puck's knuckles.

He smiles to himself, and thinks that it's definitely a good start.

-0-0-

Please, please review!


	33. Surprise

**Disclaimer:** Nope, Glee belongs to Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Brad Falchuck, Fox, etc. Not me.

**A/N:** So, here is Sunday's drabble! Some good, wholesome Puckleberry because they're just meant to be!

I hate how it turned out, but I got a third out, as promised.

Hope you enjoy, even if I hate it!

-0-0-

No one thinks they're going to last. They didn't the first time, after all, and they just assume that her lingering feelings for Finn and his tendency to chase anything in a skirt will bring about another quick demise to the Puckleberry 'relationship'.

They don't take the time to really look at them, though.

If they did, they'd see the extra shine of her thousand watt smile when he's near that she'd never gotten with the quarterback; they'd see the way his gaze never strayed to the other girls anymore. They'd see the unmistakable bond between the two. The playful banter, and the serious confidence they held for each other.

They'd see the love.

But they don't look, and they don't see.

And they're all surprised when Rachel and Puck are still together at graduation. Even more surprised when it gets around that Puck's received a football and basketball scholarship to NYU and that Rachel's headed for Julliard's arts program. That they're going to be renting a New York City apartment, together.

Shocked when it makes its way back to Lima, Ohio ten years later that Rachel Berry is now Rachel Puckerman, and she's expecting their first child.

No one ever thought that they'd last … but they do, and it was always obvious from the look in their eyes.

-0-0-

Reviews are love; give me some, please!


	34. ReMakeover

**Disclaimer:** Nope, not mine. But this drabble is! Just, you know ... not the people in it ;).

**A/N:** Sorry I didn't keep my promise! But yesterday I started working for the first time in my life, and it got crazy. I'm so tired, lol! It's only a temporary thing; more helping someone out with some things that need doing at a business. But the way my 'boss' is talking, it doesn't sound so temporary anymore ... and I'm having some issues.

But I checked my email, found some _wonderful_ reviews, and my muse cam back full force! Huge thanks to anyone who has review'd, fav'd, and alert'd. And those who continue to review faithfully, you mean the world to me. Thank you so much! 3

Here's some Kurt/Rachel friendship, because it's cute like that.

Two more to come tonight, definitely. (The stress of being behind is killing me!)

Hope you enjoy!

-0-0-

"I've been thinking long and hard about this, and I think I've finally come to a suitable conclusion. So, despite the fact that the last time I conceded my clothes and myself to your open scrutiny you took advantage of me and ruthlessly sabotaged me in our uncalled for and quite ridiculous contest for Finn's affections, I'm willing to surrender myself to your obvious talents once again." Rachel stops, taking a deep breath.

Maybe she's making a mistake here; giving trust where trust should not be rightfully given. But, truthfully, she doesn't have many friends; none at all, really. And even though she'd probably never admit it, she's actually getting quite a bit desperate for some. And she's hoping that by accepting Kurt's offer of a second makeover, she might gain him as a friend in the long run.

Maybe it's a long shot; maybe he's always going to hate her. But this is a chance she has to take.

And she thinks that, perhaps … it isn't such a long shot.

Because as he stands before her – a slightly amused look on his face at her long-winded speech – he has the good grace to look ashamed of his past actions.

He doesn't say it, but he pulls her close and loops her arm through his before leading her out of the school and towards his Navigator. It's the closest to an apology she thinks she'll get. And as he starts describing what he has in mind for her 'whole new wardrobe' (three words that make her stomach sink in worry and fear), she thinks that maybe it's enough …

"I'm thinking elegance with a good hint of tease," he tells her with a wink. "You want to attract attention without screaming 'I'm easy!' Something Santana's clearly yet to master."

… You know, for now.

-0-0-

Reviews are love!


	35. Traingles: Not So Clear Cut

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine ... but how I wish ;).

-0-0-

She loves Artie.

He's talented, and kind, and loving, and strong, and handsome, and hard-working, and funny, and amazing. They've had wonderful times together, and have made it through some tremendous rough patches. They always come through, together.

But she finds herself drawn more and more towards Mike Chang as her junior year goes on; to his smile, and his dancing, and his carefree personality. In a way, he's everything she's ever wanted to be. He's committed and passionate, but always with a laugh ready at a moment's notice. He represents the kind of freeness of spirit she's never been able to achieve.

It's wrong … because there's Artie, for goodness sake. She _loves_ him, dammit! But she can't stop looking at Mike; and can't help noticing the way he looks at her, too.

She loves Artie, and Artie loves her. But she thinks Mike loves her, too … and the butterflies in her stomach when they're paired together for choreography are desperately trying to tell her that maybe she loves him too.

Her only problem is that she doesn't know who she loves the right way.

_Oh my God_, she thinks to herself, a horror-stricken look taking up residence on her face. _You know you're pathetic when you can relate to Bella Swan and her Edward-Jacob love triangle!_

Now, she just really doesn't know what to do.

-0-0-

**A/N:** This one is inspired by Ryan Murphy spilling at the Comic Con, when asked about storylines in season 2 for Mike & Matt (who rock, BTW), that they're writing something where Tina falls for Mike.

And even though I'm a huge Artie/Tina lover, I love Mike too (Mike and Matt FTW!) ... and I wrote this, because I found myself relating to Bella lately and feeling really messed up, lol.

Hope you liked!

All that's left now is today's drabble! Yay!

Review? Please?


	36. Rough Year

**Disclaimer:** Honestly, if Glee were mine, it might actually suck a little bit, lol ... cuz I'd write what I like and piss 50% of people off. Oh well ... ;) Good things it's Ryan Murphy's, then. He always writes amazing episodes!

-0-0-

He's had a pretty rough year, no doubt.

He's made some mistakes; one in specific … that, despite being a mistake, ended up making a miracle; his little miracle. Quinn's little miracle; Shelby's little miracle. All these mistakes (and not-exactly-mistakes) are things that he's going to have to live with.

He's going to have to live with the fact that he was once a terrible person, picking on others to be 'cool'. He's going to have to live with the fact that he'll never fully regain his friendship with Finn; he blew that, and even if Finn forgives him it can never be the same. He's going to live with the fact that somewhere out there, Shelby Corcoran is raising a little girl with Quinn's hair and eyes, and his nose and smile. That somewhere in the world, his little girl is growing up without him.

They aren't easy things to live with. The guilt for all he's done to the Gleeks alone is enough to keep away sleep at night while he berates himself for being such an idiot. And he'll always miss his friendship with Finn, even if he doesn't deserve to; that shit started when they were four years old, sharing rusty old toy cars in a small sandbox. He'll never forget his baby girl, out there in the world.

But sometimes, things aren't so hard.

When he's sitting on his bed, or in his backyard, or sitting in the park, with Rachel by his side (or with her head in his lap), strumming his guitar … it's almost easy to forget.

The simplicity of the melody, the sound of her voice gently mixing in with the chords, the feel of the strings beneath his calloused fingers; it's strange in a totally peaceful kind of way … and it makes his life seem so much easier.

He just sees her smile, and all of a sudden it's like he isn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulder anymore.

-0-0-

**A/N: **Yeah, more Puckleberry. Honestly, this was just supposed to be about Puck and his guitar. But then I started writing, and by the end it wasn't anything like it was supposed to be.

Oh well, haha, I like it anyways! Hope you enjoyed, too.!

Requests? I'm open!

Please review.


	37. The Better End

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**A/N:** Have you ever uploaded a story/chapter to Document Manager and forgotten to actually post it? Yeah, that's what i did last night. Sorry! so this is yesterday's drabble.

I just realized that Rachel's been making a lot of appearances lately. Personally, I love her, and love writing her :) ... but if anyone's getting sick of her, let me know and I'll try to lay off.

So here's some Quinn [but darn it, Rachel makes an appearance in this one too ;)], just because it popped into my head. Not sure if I like it ...

Hope you do!

-0-0-

She doesn't know what she really expected to happen.

In her dreams, she equated the flattening of her stomach to the return of her popularity. As if giving birth and putting Beth behind her (or trying to, at least) would magically get her spot on the Cheerios back. As if suddenly it would mean she could once again walk in between Santana and Brittany in the hallways, the crowd parting like the red sea as she passed.

Yeah, right.

Things don't work like that. And deep down, she never expected them too. (Her dreams just never got that memo.)

Things don't actually change much at all, actually … except possibly getting worse.

See, even douche bags like Azimio draw the line somewhere; and one of those lines is pregnant girls. But now that she's baby-less, she's a more open target; for shoves, instead of just slushies. And her pregnancy belly had done a little to make the crowd part of her, if not in the same way she was once used to. Now, it's all she can do to stumble her way to class without falling over.

It's hard … it really is.

But Kurt makes a point to always smile and say "hey" when he passes her in the halls; Mercedes is oftentimes at her side, and they have sleepovers constantly now that she's moved back in with her mother; Puck punches all the assholes that throw slushies in her face, which are many …

But most surprising of all – or perhaps least surprising, given her forgiving nature and early attempts at a reconciliation during the pregnancy (especially when the blonde was least receptive) – is Rachel, helping rinse her hair and lending her clothes when she forgets extras, lending her study notes in Biology, which she isn't doing too well at, etc.

She never dreamed that instead of popularity, she'd get friends; friends who accept her despite past mistakes, and aren't poised to drop her on her face at the first hint of trouble.

And watching the popular crowd – with their scandals, and their betrayals (which she knows all too well), and their superficial bonds … she thinks she got the better end of the deal, after all.

-0-0-

Please review!


	38. Rain

**A/N:** Sorry, away for the weekend again!

And sorry that this one's short ... but it occurred to me, and had to be written, like so many others.

Here's Friday's drabble!

Hope you like!

-0-0-

Tina likes the rain.

It washes away the old and welcomes the new, clearing off the face of the earth and leaving it fresh and clean. She likes the way the grass appears greener, and the streetlights leave shimmering trails all over the sopping wet pavement.

When she was younger, she loved to splash in the puddles on the way home. Giggling and hopping and splashing for two whole blocks. (Even if her mom was never the least bit happy to come upon the muddy state of her clothes afterwards.)

Now, though, she just loves the way it pours down all around her as she walks home. The way it soaks everything: her hair, and her shirt, and her undergarments, and her pants, and her socks, and her shoes … but especially her face.

Because when the rain is pattering down and leaving trails of make-up down her cheeks, she can pretend …

Pretend that it's only the rain, and not her tears.

-0-0-

Please review!


	39. Halo

**A/N:** Another short one ... but oh well, you'll just have to deal with it because it's all I can think of right now ;).

Here's Saturday's drabble, I hope you like it!

-0-0-

**Mike C.**_ Set after 'Funk' and before 'Regionals._

He can admit that it's pretty dumb.

It's pointlessly violent, and requires little use of his brain cells. (He can practically hear Rachel calling it an abominable waste of time and intelligence. Especially when they could be better utilizing the time; like, say, to practice.)

It is, and he knows it.

But after all the Vocal Adrenaline drama, and with the pressure of Regionals on his head (he can't help but worrying that something similar to the Sectionals fiasco will happen, only this time completely costing them the club), there's nothing else he'd rather be doing right now that playing Halo 4 with Matt.

Because in Halo, it doesn't matter if he remembers the notes or the steps on stage in a couple of days. It just matter whether or not he can shoot to kill before he gets shot dead.

And that, he knows he can do. (Because let's just face it; his Halo skills are pretty freaking amazing.)

-0-0-

Review? Please?


	40. Sick & Tired

**A/N:** Another shortie, and another one about Rachel. I'm sorry, guys, but I feel like I connect to her the most and it makes her easier to write. Also, no one has complained ... so I guess I'll continue until someone does :).

This is Sunday's drabble! (Sorry for the wait.)

Hope you enjoy!

_-0-0-_

She's tired of this feeling.

This feeling … like an intense stabbing where her heart should be within her chest; a hollow, empty pit at the bottom of her gut; a suffocating feeling in throat; the sensation of tears leaving salty, burning trails down her cheeks.

She's tired of wasting away her time crying over boys. Tired of letting them trick her into falling for them, play a little yo-yo with her heart on the end of a string, and then stomp all over her as they pass her by on their path out and away from the too-short, big-nosed, fat, ugly girl she feels like she is.

She's tired of choosing all the wrong boys and paying for it in the end.

She's sick and tired of never being enough for them.

Because, let's face it …

What kind of love life is one where the best (read: most painless) relationship had is 8 days long and with the boy with a penchant for tossing people in dumpsters and flinging slushies in their faces?

A really terrible one, that's what.

_-0-0-_

Please review!


	41. About Time

**A/N:** Ugh, I'm sorry. I can't believe I'm letting it slip this badly. I'm disgusted with myself. :(

But honestly, I think it's the lack of reviews that's causing my muse and commitment fade away. Seriously, guys ... this is averaging 1.07 reviews per drabble. You don't know how much I appreciate the few who review often ... you guys rock! But would it kill everyone else to leave at least one if you've alert'd or fav'd? (Anonymous reviews are enabled, as well.)

Sorry for the mini-rant, I'm done now.

This is Monday's drabble!

Hope you enjoy!

_-0-0-_

Brittany's not opposed to being in the background most of the time.

She's never been one to hog the spotlight (she's not Rachel, after all). She has no problem following Santana around; because the girl's her best friend, and she helps her understand things. And she doesn't think she could handle the pressure of being the cheer captain, in any case, because she's not very good at being mean and demanding to anyone. And even before Quinn got all preggo, she didn't mind walking the halls with the other blonde in front; she finds life a lot easier when she doesn't have to worry about having people watching her and expecting so much out of her.

Despite that, though … this moment feel pretty amazing.

Because she doesn't require constant attention and praise; but finally getting her chance to rock it out centre stage with a solo of her own …

Well, it's about time, isn't it?

_-0-0-_

Review?


	42. Ballad

**A/N:** Some Mercedes now, because I don't around to her too often.

Tuesday's drabble; hope you enjoy!

_-0-0-_

Mercedes can admit that Rachel and Finn definitely do '_Faithfully_' justice.

But she wouldn't have chosen it for their ballad, herself. (As cool as the Journey medley is – especially the way it represents their group – she can think of some other numbers she would choose over it. Like, maybe a little Beyonce, perhaps?)

And she can't deny that it stings just a little bit to stand in the background and harmonize with the _ooh_s and _aah_s.

Because she _earned_ the ballad at Sectionals with '_And I'm Telling You_' … and then it was violently ripped out of her hands; her chance stolen.

And she knows that letting Rachel belt it on the fly was definitely the right choice to make, because without it they wouldn't even be at Regionals. (And she totally killed it, no lie.)

But why couldn't Mr. Schue have given her another shot, now?

Didn't she earn it?

_-0-0-_

Review?


	43. The Future

**A/N:** A slightly longer one, finally.

This was supposed to be a lot different than it is, but I like it anyways.

Wednesday's drabble, down. Two more to go!

Hope you enjoy!

(It's Santana, BTW. I didn't write her name in the first part.)

_-0-0-_

She feels like she's been working up to this moment for her entire life.

Yeah, that's totally cliché; but this is literally the beginning of the rest of her life.

She turned eighteen yesterday; she walked across McKinley's stage two months ago in a black robe, collecting her diploma.

And now, she's standing in her driveway beside an old station wagon, ready to make three day long journey to Santa Barbara for the dance program at the University Of California – Santana Barbara.

The sun is just barely up, and Santana can't wait to be on the road …

Which she can't get to until her mom's done smothering her.

"Mom," she says quietly due to lack of oxygen, "I'm going to miss you, too."

"Be careful, huh?" her mom retorts, finally letting go to hold her at arm's length and observe her. She rolls her eyes when Santana gasps for air. "And call every time you cross a state line; and when you get there; and …"

"And every day, for the rest of my life," Santana jokes, with a half smile on her face. "I got it, mom."

"You're all packed? You have everything you'll need," her mom asks insistently as she opens the driver side door, closing it behind her daughter, "money, driver's license, your course schedule?"

"Yeah, mom," she says grabbing her mother's frantically flying hands in her own through the open window. "I'm ready for this," she tells her, earnestly.

Her mom nods, eyes shining with tears. "Yeah, I know you are, Chiquita."

She's ready for the drive, no doubt.

But more than that, she's ready for life to start coming at her full force; or as ready as anyone can ever be. Maybe she's not prepared for all that's going to happen … there's so much she hasn't been exposed to, especially moving from small town Ohio, all the way to the West Coast.

But she's ready for it to start.

_-0-0-_

Review?


	44. Figgins

**A/N:** I don't even know where this came from ...

But I wrote it, and I'm posting anyways ;).

A Figgins drabble, just because. This is yesterday's.

Enjoy!

_-0-0-_

He sort of hates his job.

He deals with all sorts of crap; like limited funding, Sue, Miss Berry, feuds between staff members, a near-psychotic guidance counselor, constantly needing replacement school nurses, having the staff resigning and changing their minds every couple months … and especially Glee club.

Undoubtedly, it's been a huge thorn in his side since even before Schuester took over. The Sandy Ryerson incident was a big blow to the school credibility … not that parents have much of a choice of where to send their kids unless they decide to skip town and build new lives somewhere else. But it did cause quite a commotion and a lot of annoying – if well-intentioned – messages left on his answering machine.

And even when it's the club itself causing trouble … it's Sue! Almost 75% of all the ridiculous and horrible things she's done the past year revolve around Schuester and his 'band of merry misfits' as Sue's so often referred to the club's members within the walls of his office.

He'd have less gray hair to cover up without it, that's for sure.

But it's not the entire reason he hates his job.

Honestly, he just mostly hates kids; and dealing with people. How he got roped into the job in the first place is a mystery to him … but he isn't qualified for much else, and he's got to put the bread on the table.

And really, the only thing on his record in McKinley; with the disaster it is, despite a boatload of consecutive cheerleading Nationals wins, where else would hire him?

_-0-0-_

Review?


	45. Refreshing

**A/N:** Haha! Finally! Today's drabble :). It's such a relief to be caught up!

More Rachel ... but I think I made it at least four without her, so yay me.

As much as I like Puckleberry, and Cherry, and Berryford ... this one just worked with an OC.

Hope you enjoy!

_-0-0-_

Graham isn't perfect.

He doesn't know much about musicals, and sometimes he doesn't understand why Glee is so important to her. And while he's not a bad singer or musician, he isn't near phenomenal; he can't hit a high B, and he can't play guitar.

But he's positive, and his smile's contagious, and she thinks that maybe she could love him; (she thinks that maybe she's starting to.) There's no denying that he's attractive, and he holds open doors for her, like a gentleman. He makes her laugh, and knows what buttons to push without starting an epic, breakup-worthy fight. He makes her feel safe … and at the same time, he makes her feel fire.

She's known him for a couple years now through her dance studio. Not well enough to classify them as more than acquaintances (up until recently), but enough to smile, say 'hi' and exchange pleasantries when their paths crossed.

He likes horror movies, which she despises, and hates supernatural ones, which she loves. And he eats meat; but that one she doesn't hold that against him. She's not a preachy vegetarian who tries to make other people feel bad for eating steak; she's vegan by her own choice, and recognizes that it isn't the path for everyone.

He doesn't go to McKinley. He doesn't know that jocks have made a sport of throwing frozen beverages in her face; he doesn't know that she's nothing more than a 'freak', that she's at the bottom of the food chain; he doesn't see her the way the way they do.

He doesn't know (let alone have a romantic history with) Quinn Fabray; he didn't used to bully her; he hasn't already broken her heart too many times to count; and he isn't an enemy spy.

And being with someone who is none of the above is … oddly refreshing.

(Besides, nobody's perfect; no matter how hard she tries to be.)

_-0-0-_

Review?


	46. One Year

**_A/N:_**_ Here is some Quick friendship just because it popped into my head._

_Short ... but hopefully sweet._

_Hope you like!_

_(OMG! #50 is quick approaching ... any ideas? Because as of right now, I have nothing ;).)_

_-0-0-_

365 days.

525 600 minutes.

31 536 000 seconds.

1 year.

-0-0-

They're not together …

He wasn't lying when he told her he loved her; but it wasn't exactly the truth, either. They'll always kind of love each other, because of Beth. They'll always share the bond of their child, even if they aren't raising her. But they aren't _in_ love.

… She's with Finn again, and he's with Rachel. Well, he was. And he will be again. (They have a convoluted on-again-off-again relationship that actually seems to suit them well. They fight and break up and make up and fight … and so the circle continues. But even during their 'off-again' phases, they're exclusive.)

They don't about it (her) very often; or at all, really.

But the day their daughter turns a year old, they spend together.

Still, they don't talk about her much. They mostly sit on his couch with the lights turned off and half-watch old movies that neither of them could care less about. Because today, all they need is to know that the other is there, feeling most of the same things they're feeling.

They each just need to know that they aren't alone.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	47. Finn 2

**_A/N:_**_ A Finn/Artie friendship fic, because Sharkwoman requested it. It's a tad overdue, but it's up now, at least! This one's for you._

_I recently re-watched some episode from the first 13 recently, from the beginning, and this stuck with me from the pilot. I hope you enjoy!_

_[How do you feel about some deep, female bonding for the 50th? I think I can make it pretty good ... and it's the only idea I have ;). If you have anything you want to see, for the 50th or just anything, let me know!]_

_-0-0-_

**Finn H. **_Set after the Pilot._

He's never really understood the term 'deafening silence' means.

(Then again, there are a lot of things that Finn doesn't understand.)

But now, wheeling Artie away from Puck and the port-a-potty, he thinks that this must be what 'deafening silence' is. Because they aren't making any sound, but he doesn't think that anything has ever sounded so loud to him. (Not even Matt's surround sound system, and that thing had a lot of money and effort put into it; when the dude has a party, the whole house practically vibrates from the bass.)

It's also a fairly awkward silence.

Because maybe he just saved Artie from a traumatic experience and a whole pile of injuries, but last month he probably would have let it happen; and they both know it.

Nonetheless, Artie's grateful. "Thank you," he tells Finn honestly and appreciatively; (he was raised right).

Finn just nods a little bit, and quietly says, "You're welcome," as he continues to push him towards the school and the auditorium. (He likes to think he was raised right; but he has a track record proving that it didn't do him a whole lot of good so far.)

Artie's silent, allowing his chair to be pushed by the awkwardly tall quarterback. (Finn doesn't know it, but it's an honor that Artie doesn't bestow on a lot of people. He doesn't like to be pushed very much, because he doesn't like giving over the control; he doesn't like not having it.)

The silence just keeps getting more deafening, and Finn needs to make something clear. "I'm not like those guys, alright." Artie doesn't respond. "I mean … maybe I was. But I don't want to be. Not anymore."

Artie nods quietly. He says, "That's the first step; wanting to change. Helping me out was the second step; proving that you mean what you say about changing. Now, you just gotta keep that up."

Finn contemplates Artie's words before saying quietly, "I guess that's what I'll do then."

Artie nods again, as they enter the auditorium and their conversation comes to an end.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	48. Height

**_A/N:_**_ So, this one's for .Gleek, who I don't think will ever get tired of Tartie ;)._

_The line Artie says near the end just seemed to come to me and stick in my brain, and I had to figure out a way to incorporate it into a drabble. So this is what I came up with!_

_(BTW, this is Monday's drabble.)_

_Since no one's said otherwise, the 50th will definitely be some female bonding. (Seeing as I can't think of anything else.)_

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Tina never thought she'd fall in love.

She was too shy, too different, too weird, whatever, to find _the one_. (Not that she's ever believed in 'the one' in any case.) And for a long time, she wasn't even sure she wanted to. She's seen her fair share of douche bags, watched enough high school couples be torn apart by cheating. She's spent enough nights with her music turned up as high as it goes in order to drown out her parent's shouting match from the floor below.

(It's actually kind of funny, she thinks, the way her parents seem to think she's oblivious to it all. As if she doesn't see right through their act when they smile fake smiles at each other around the breakfast table and peck each other on the lips before he goes off to work. As if she can't tell that their family is completely dysfunctional, and their marriage is falling apart.)

But then he waltzed right into her life, and … well, actually he _rolled_ right into her life, and … anyways, suddenly he was there, and he was making her laugh (he still does), and she just can't seem to ever get him off of her mind. (Even – or especially – when he wasn't talking to her after 'stutter-gate', as Kurt and Mercedes so dumbly dubbed the whole affair after her big stutter reveal.)

He chuckles a little bit from his position behind her on the couch, and she lifts her head from where she's been using his arm as a makeshift pillow. "What?" she asks him, confused, as she gently turns over without disturbing his other arms as it rests on her waist. Their watching Scary Movie 4, but no one's said anything worthy of a laugh for at least two minutes.

He's smiling widely, and she's still completely in the dark. He chuckles a little bit more before enlightening her. "I'm taller than you," he tells her matter-of-factly, gesturing with eyes to where she's entangled her legs in his.

She hits his arm lightly and rolls her eyes, because he's right.

And she can't resist giggling, because he seems quite pleased with the fact. And the moment's just so odd and stupid and absurd, and unreal, and _ohmigawd_ …

She thinks she just might be in love with this boy.

_-0-0-_

_Pretty please review!_


	49. Hospitals

**_A/N:_**_ Just a quickie, but I had to get something out right now so I can focus on finishing up the 50th!_

_This is yesterday (Tuesday)'s drabble._

_50th will be up late tonight/in the early hours of the morning, or tomorrow! Whenever I'm satisfied with it._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Kurt doesn't like hospitals; the same way he doesn't like cemeteries.

It's because whenever he's in one (or the other), the memories of a certain sweet-faced woman from his past take over his mind and fill his heart to the brim with sadness and longing.

God, he misses his mom.

He misses her comforting presence, and her deep understanding, and her all-around acceptance of him. Don't get him wrong, he loves and appreciates his dad, and he knows his dad is trying his hardest … but he just knows that his coming out would have been much easier for the both of them if his mom was still around.

It's hard to sit in the hospital waiting room while Quinn's giving birth. It's not the same hospital that his mom suffered in for months, desperately fighting breast cancer, or where she finally lost the fight … but all hospital are the same, anyways; the essence of death in the air, the mingling scents of old people and industrial grade anti-bacterial, the doctors in white coats and nurses in pastel-colored scrubs.

He manages to take a little comfort, however, in one stray thought.

It's a place where people are taken out of this world … but also where others are welcomed in.

_-0-0-_

_Leave a review, and make a smile!_


	50. The Cupcake Incident

**_A/N:_**_ Yay! #50 is here!_

_OMG, this was so much fun to write! I already had the first part pre-written, and it was going to be a oneshot, but I decided it would be a pretty epic 50th drabble._

_I also think it's my longest, so that makes me super happy._

_I really, really hope you enjoy it!_

_-0-0-_

"Flour . . . sugar . . . baking soda . . . salt . . . cocoa powder . . . vegetable oil . . . water . . . vinegar . . ." Rachel mutters as she goes over the recipe for cupcakes in Daddy's recipe book. As she reads off each item, she moves around the kitchen of the Home Ec. room retrieving it from either the fridge or the cupboard, placing it on the island where the bowls and mixer are.

Mercedes is leaning against the counter, filing her nails; Tina is against the opposite side of the island, listening to her iPod with one earphone in; Quinn is sitting at the table eating a peanut butter and tuna sandwich; Santana is sitting on the counter, texting; Brittany is humming a distant tune while practicing some ballet. "Okay!" Rachel chirps brightly, smiling, as she sets down the last ingredient on the island. "That's everything." Everyone stops what they're doing, looks at her, and resumes their previous activity.

Rachel's smile falls. "Look," she starts. Everyone stops what they're doing (aside from Quinn who continues to eat) again and collectively groans. "I know we don't all get along, but we need money for costumes and the only idea anyone had was another bake sale. And this time we can't rely on Puck and his marijuana-enhanced cupcakes; we have to make our own. And if you want anyone to buy our cupcakes, I suggest you do not let me make them myself. While I possess many talents, baking is not one of them." She grimaces, remembering the time she tried to make her dad a cake for his birthday.

Still no one makes a move to help her. "Fine," she sighs. "But you might want to have the fire department on hold once I put them in the oven." She's not even over-exaggerating.

Brittany is the first to move over. "The fire department?" she asks questioningly, raising one eyebrow. Rachel blushes.

"The last time I tried to make a cake for my dad's birthday it may have caught fire and forced us to remodel our kitchen," she mumbles, embarrassed. Mercedes laughs as she sets down her nail file.

"Well, we can't let that happen here, now, can we?" she says as she takes the recipe from Rachel and begins to read it over.

"Yeah," Tina chuckles, "Figgins will totally shut down Glee if we manage to damage the school to the point of needing expensive repairs."

"Can we just get this over with?" Santana says. The bitchiness in her voice is forced. Sure, she might like Glee and not hate everyone in it, but she doesn't have to act like it.

The others aren't fazed; they know how Santana feels, even if she's too proud to admit it. "The recipe says to mix it all together and make sure there are no lumps," Mercedes says after scanning the recipe. "Brittany, can you measure out one-and-a-half cups of flour?"

"Sure!" Brittany says brightly. She goes over to the cupboard and grabs a mug. Tina quickly intervenes, taking the article from the blonde's hands and placing it back on the shelf. She then picks up two measuring cups from the counter (a cup and a half-cup) and places them in Brittany's hand. The blonde looks a little confused for a second before shrugging, smiling, and proceeding to measure a cup-and-a-half of flour. "Done!" she announces proudly when the white grains are in the bowl.

"Great; next we need . . . sugar," Mercedes says, looking up. Tina takes a measuring cup from Brittany and pours the sugar in with the flour. "Okay, now we need . . ."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"There!" Rachel announces proudly as she slides the last pan into the oven. Mercedes, Tina, and Brittany all smile. Quinn and Santana don't notice; Quinn is eating a second sandwich she made herself and Santana is still texting.

"Finally," Mercedes exclaims, leaning back against a counter and smiling a little bit. "I really hope that's enough cupcakes, because I am not making any more any time soon, you know?"

"Totally," Tina agrees.

Rachel nods and smiles, looking over to where Santana is _still_ texting. She shakes her head lightly at her, wondering when the HBIC is going to get head out of her (pardon her French) ass. Spotting the icing sugar, an idea slowly blossoms in her head. Tina catches her gaze, and reads mischief in the petite brunette's eyes. Her own eyes widen, and she gives her a look equal to: _Are you insane?_

Rachel shrugs and figures, _why not?_ Everyone already thinks she's certifiably insane anyways, right?

With a small smirk on her face, she gives into the sudden urge and grabs a double fistful of the fine, white powder. Barely sparing a thought to the fact that during all of her recent time spent with Noah he must have been a bad influence on her, she puts her superb coordination to good use and pitches the powder straight into the Latina's face.

Her fingers stop their insistent tapping against her cell's keyboard the moment she feels the impact. Her mouth drops open in shock, her eyes blinking as they begin to water (having been open when the icing sugar hit her face).

When she opens them and turns, they instantly fall on the young ingénue in the knee socks. A look of guilt and regret quickly flashes across Rachel's face before her acting skills take over and she puts on an act of indifference. Santana's expression clearly reads, _oh no you didn't_, as she blindly reaches the for egg carton that had been carelessly left beside her when the girls baking had gotten what they needed from it without breaking eye contact.

Rachel barely has time to register what's happening besides to cleverly close her own eyes before an egg becomes up close and personal with her face.

The others (even Quinn, who has finished her sandwich now) are frozen for a moment before Santana smirks in honest-to-God amusement and the stillness of the room is broken.

-0-0-

It's a whirlwind of carefully aimed flying substances and carelessly flung objects, and the guys and Mr. Schue show up only to stand in the doorway, unbelieving of the sight before them.

Brittany's using a spatula to rub chocolate icing into Tina's hair (who's bent over, giggling and protecting her face). She turns the tables, however, grabbing the bag of sugar nearby and pouring the contents over the blonde's head, whose turn it is to protect her face. The sugar sticks to her cheeks, where vegetable oil had earlier been smeared.

Mercedes is ducked behind the side of the island closest to the door while Quinn has a tub of Crisco shortening and whisk in her hands, flinging some in the Diva's direction every time she sneaks a glance over the top towards the pregnant blonde. (Her hair's beginning to look more white than black.) Quinn's covered in flour and vanilla icing from an earlier battle with Tina.

Rachel and Santana are further away from the other chaos, both covered head to toe in egg yolk and egg white, icing sugar, and cocoa powder. The guys arrive just in time to see Rachel slip on egg, let out a high-pitched scream, and bring the Cheerio down with her as she completely loses her balance.

The other girls barely notice, until Noah manages to get over the initial speechlessness that everyone else seems to be possessed by and loudly exclaims, "What the _fuck_!"

Mr. Schue mumbles, "Language, Puck," as all action comes to a stop and six hilariously decorated faces turn towards the doorway. "What's going on here?" he asks them, obviously at a complete loss.

Brittany swallows a mouthful of the icing that she'd previously been smothering over Tina, and replies with a happy smile, "We're baking!"

Mr. Schue doesn't look impressed with the answer (though everyone else lets out a small smile at the blonde's innocent words), and Tina, Mercedes, and Quinn share a look before proclaiming, "I didn't start it!" all at once.

"Yeah," Santana adds, "Rachel started it." Rachel taps her none-too-gently with the back of her hand from their position, still unmercifully entangled on the floor.

"Tattle, much?" she mutters, before looking up at Mr. Schue and stumbling over her words in an attempt to explain. "You see, we were- And I just- And she … We were just making cupcakes, and …"

Suddenly she trails off, her eyes widening alarm. "The cupcakes!" she chokes out, sharing an alarmed look with Tina.

The Asian girl is closest, so she opens the oven door quickly. Thick, gray smoke begins to billow out, and the girls (minus Brittany) all groan sadly.

She coughs harshly, closing the door and flipping off the oven. "Well, so much for that," Santana mutters, shaking her head lightly.

Mercedes bring her palm up to her face, shaking her head sadly as Quinn sighs.

Brittany looks up from licking the spatula of icing, and asks a tad confusedly, "Does this mean no cupcakes?"

_-0-0-_

_Please leave a review? It would mean so much!_


	51. Too Easy

**_A/N:_**_ Some more Rachel, because she's my fallback. And some Finchel, because I feel unfair to them. I almost never write them, because I'm all Puckleberry and Cherry and Berryford ... but I'm trying to be diverse, and I guess I have to give Finn a shot with her every once and a while. (Besides, that's where the show is supposedly going, unfortunately.) I don't have to like it, though. ;)_

_This is yesterday's drabble._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Things with Finn are ... surprisingly easy.

After everything they've been through in the past year, though, it's nice to not be struggling constantly. She thinks that they've had enough drama for, oh … _ever_. The hurdles they've overcome to be together were no easy feat, but she'd do it again in a heartbeat. He's the leading man to her young ingénue.

Sometimes, though – when they're just sitting together, watching a movie, his arm around her and her head leaned up against his shoulder – she can't help but worry.

Because the best things are the things that you have to work for, right? And even though they've already worked for it, Rachel can't help but feel like things are _too_ easy; that it's all just a prelude to disaster.

It is high school, after all. Disaster is almost always around the corner.

She's trying to just enjoy it, though; take things as they come and not worry about everything else.

It's not an easy task … especially not for her … but she's trying.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	52. Before

**_A/N:_**_ Some Quinn now, and a hint of Quick if you squint, because it came to me._

_I actually like this one, lol, which is a change._

_Hope you enjoy, too!_

_-0-0-_

She wishes she could go back in time.

Back to when she was six years old – innocent to the cruelty of the real world – and her daddy's little girl. Back to before she started to see her dad for what he really is. Back to before she met Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman on the playground; back to before she got with Finn; back to before she cheated on him with his best friend and got pregnant; back to before she got kicked off the Cheerios and lost her spot at the top of the school; back to before her parents kicked her out; back to before the baby daddy secret came out; back to before this entire mess began.

But she can't. She can't go back in time, and she can't change anything.

She's stuck here, sixteen and with child, living in Puck's house, with his annoying sister and crazy mom, trying not to have a mental breakdown and trying to keep up her grades.

Studying is hard when there's a little girl kicking your bladder every three seconds from the inside.

She thinks that maybe, just maybe, the look on Puck's face when she lets him feel their daughter kick …

It might make it all worth it.

Well, not everything; because nothing can really make being sixteen and pregnant _okay_, ever. But it certainly manages to give everything a different perspective.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	53. Lucky, Because

_A/N: Finally, some Kurt that just came to me, and I didn't have to force my fingers to write._

_This is yesterday's drabble._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You have a hard time. Being openly gay in a small town like Lima is far from easy.

But you consider yourself lucky.

Because you get thrown in dumpsters, and you get slushies thrown in your face; insults follow you wherever you go – be it about your style, your voice, etc.; you don't have many friends … even fewer you can trust completely; and your dad often has a difficult time communicating with you about the important things.

But you _lucky_, because – aside from the occasional bruise – you aren't usually beaten up; because slushies are just ice and sugar artificial coloring; because words are just words, and they can't make you bleed; because you do have friends … maybe not a plethora of them, but enough to get by; because your dad accepts you for who you are, despite his awkward feelings for it all.

And that's a whole lot better than you can say for other open homosexuals in small towns.

You're lucky, because you're alive.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	54. The Apple And The Tree

_A/N: I just couldn't resist. The 'you' in this story refers to Beth._

_So many stories have popped up with Beth now that she's been added to the character list, and this one just couldn't _not_ be written._

_It's set with the basis that she doesn't know about Quinn or Puck, or even that she's adopted._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You don't know how it happened.

Well, of course you know _how_. You're _sixteen_. They teach these things in, like, grade 5 nowadays; the birds and the bees, and all that nonsense. You know _how_ it happened, because you were there.

It wasn't supposed to happen, though. Not the way it did.

And _this_ shouldn't have been able to happen, because you were careful. You're not _stupid_. As soon as they start teaching about babies and sex, they start teaching about contraceptive. (You go to church with mom pretty regularly, but you don't have anything against condoms or the pill; you know that they're useful, and you know that they're necessary because people don't remain virgins until they're married anymore. It's just not the way it's done anymore.)

Maybe they teach (along with sex, and babies, and contraceptives) you that the only 100% effective effect form of birth control is abstinence, but they don't spend too much time preaching that topic. They tend to move on pretty quickly to 'Drug Use and Abuse', instead. Personally, you think that they shouldn't be so quick to pass on. Because almost everyone ends up smoking a joint or two in their life, and most of them still turn out fine … but teenage pregnancy has the potential to ruin the entire rest of your life.

Apparently, that 99% effectiveness should be better advertised … Because you've managed to become part of the 1 percentile where it _wasn't_ effective.

You had plans … to go to university, and get your degree, and be a doctor or a teacher or something like that. You were going to go places.

Now, you think that you'll be lucky to graduate with your high school diploma.

Because you just know that you can't give this baby away.

However new the development is, he/she is a part of you; (literally). You already love the little abomination, just like you love his/her daddy. (You never wanted to end up in this position, but at least you're in it with somebody you care a lot for and who cares a lot about you.) And you've heard the story about Mom and Rachel a million times; how Mom was just a surrogate – a carrier of the fetus for nine months, but not a _parent_ – and Rachel never knew Mom until she was sixteen. You've heard about the intense bitterness and sadness Rachel felt even after they met, and how terrible Mom felt for years …

No, you can't abandon your baby.

You know it'll be hard, and you know that it's just something you have to do. And you know that Ethan with be right beside you every step of the way.

And even if you don't know what Mom and Rachel are talking about in the study late at night when you're supposed to be asleep, but are instead eavesdropping (something about the apple not falling far from the tree, whatever they mean by that) …

You know that they'll be there for you, too.

Because the three of you (and Rachel's dads, kind of, too) are a family, as messed up and dysfunctional as you sometimes (well, always) are.

And you know that your family will stand by you.

_-0-0-_

_Please review._


	55. Walk Away

_A/N: I've been struck with writer's block for all things Glee due to a serious lack of reviews. I hate to nag, but come on! I can see how many people are reading, and it's a lot more than are reviewing. I have anonymous reviews enabled, too, so there's no excuse for not letting me know whether you hate or like what I'm writing._

_Anyways, sorry. But please, guys, let me know what you think._

_Thanks to those who have been, you guys rock! (:_

_This one is just a little scene that popped into my head. Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

"Rachel, I think we need to talk," Quinn says, cornering the petite brunette as she prepares to leave the choir room.

Lifting her gaze to meet the blonde's, she notices vaguely that they're the last ones in the room. Every else has made an unusually quick exit after Glee rehearsal; they haven't stopped to chat and dawdle and they've always done.

"And what is it, exactly, that you think we need to talk about?" she asks, a little confused.

Quinn hesitates for a moment, her gaze flickering a bit before she steels herself and speaks. "You're distant, and you haven't been able to look Puck or I in the eye since Regionals. Is there- Do you- Do have something to tell me? Do you think we made a mistake in giving Beth to Shelby?" She's a little bit frantic, but Rachel can understand why; she is, after all, apparently worried that she made a mistake in choosing her daughter's adoptive mother.

"I think Shelby will be a great mom," Rachel replies quietly, barely managing to bite out her mother's name. The words feel heavy and it's hard to get them past the lump in her throat. "I have no doubt about that," she continues. She adds on in her head, _Even though I don't have the personal experience to prove it._

Quinn nods, frowning a little bit when Rachel looks down and fiddles with the handle of her rolling backpack. "Okay," she says. She senses there more, though, and doesn't move to let Rachel pass. "Is that all?"

Rachel sighs, still refusing to meet her eyes. Her gaze lifts just a moment before she speaks. "I just- I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that Shelby doesn't want me anymore; not now that she has the baby girl I never was to her."

Quinn has no response for the quiet, pain-filled, and forlornly spoken sentence; that's okay, though, because Rachel wasn't expecting one.

She pushes past, stubbornly ignoring the tear making its way down her cheek. She doesn't look back, and doesn't see the ex-pregnant blonde watching her walk away.

She knows that she can't walk away from her problems, or her pain; but she can walk away so no one else sees it.

_-0-0-_

_Pretty please review, with a cherry on top!_


	56. Please, Smile

_A/N: I would like to apologize for nagging about reviews. I hate it when I do that. But in the end I finally got some, and I'm really happy. Thanks you guys!_

_~I'd just like to thanks MFD for reviewing (even though others did too, and I'm soo grateful for it), because I can't respond to anonymous reviews ;). Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm so glad you've enjoyed what I've written. Your review made me smile so hard :), and I would just like to promise you that a lack of reviews will never stop me from writing! (Even if, sometimes, it takes my muse hostage.) Also, I'll try to get another character drabble up ASAP. Thanks so, so much!~_

_Anyways, now on to a Cherry drabble! Yay! This one's for gleek06216, and .Gleek ... you guys seriously rock!_

_The 'you' in this story refers to Mike._

_Hope you enjoy!_

You notice things, by watching.

Not, like, creepy psycho watching; you're not Jacob Ben-Israel. More like observation. Yeah, that's more like it.

You find her interesting.

The way she can talk a mile a minute and never stumble over her words … the way she can walk with a straight spine and a blank expression on her face, even covered in slushie … the way her smile doesn't falter when a passing Cheerio calls her something like 'RuPaul' or 'Treasure Trail' … the way she never holds a grudge, even against Santana, who's been making her life miserable since preschool.

So you keep watching, looking for more interesting things about Rachel Berry.

Until, one day, you start noticing things that aren't so much 'interesting' as they are worrisome.

Like the way she's able to walk with a straight spine and a _too_ blank expression on her face whilst covered in slushie … like the way her smile doesn't falter when a passing Cheerio calls her 'Man Hands' … like the way her eyes shutter off when Kurt starts calling her out for hogging solos … like the way she not only stops hogging solos, but starts declining them …

It all begins to worry you. Because no one should be that good of an actress; nobody should need to be that good of an actress. Nobody should be able to appear completely indifferent towards things that have got to be hurtful.

And _Rachel Berry_ should never willingly give up a solo.

You don't know what brought on the change … and you don't know quite when you started caring so much.

All you know is that now, you always try to get paired with her in your shared hip hop class. All you know is that when you're dancing with her, something within you feels different than it's ever felt before.

All you know is that you start cracking jokes, to get rid of the dead expression of her eyes. All you know is that when you succeed in making her smile big smiles, you're always struck by how amazing, and wonderful, and beautiful she is.

All you know is that you want to keep making her smile, forever.

_-0-0-_

_Pretty please review, and make my day!_


	57. Remembering

_A/N: Some Berryford for gleek06216, because she's amazing (:._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Matt couldn't tell you exactly how they got together.

She's always been quite the whirlwind, and by now a lot of high school is a blur. He doesn't remember how he asked her out, or how she said yes, or how the first date actually went.

But he remembers the smile on her face at the end of the night when he bent down to kiss her. He remembers so much since then. Maybe not the specifics … but he remembers being happy and wanting nothing more than to make her happy; and he remembers when he knew it was love.

And he remembers the day he said those three words that made her face absolutely glow.

Now, five years to the day, he's greeting her after her debut performance in a new musical that he's sure is going to go to the top, if for no other reason than the fact that she's the lead.

He's hugging her and spinning her around and kissing her. And then he's reaching into his pocket for an important little velvet box that's been in the back of his sock drawer for far too long.

In five years, he won't be able to tell you exactly what he said to her, besides the three little words that he's been saying to her for years and that only keep getting truer.

But he'll remember the smile on her face as he said it all. He'll remember the happy tears rolling down her cheeks when he finally asked the question.

And he'll remember the joy he felt when she that one word, starting with a 'y'.

_-0-0-_

_Please, please review!_


	58. Just A Slushie

_A/N: Another drabble today, because I just couldn't resist._

_This one starts out kinda neutral for people, but eventually turns to Rachel; haha, her _again_, of course ;)._

_The idea came to me, and I _really_ enjoyed writing it._

_I hope you enjoy, too!_

_-0-0-_

It's just a slushie.

A cold beverage made of artificial colors and flavors, sticky sugary syrup, and ice.

That's all it is, really.

Until you bring high school into the situation. Because with high school comes the social hierarchy. And with the social hierarchy come the popular and the not-so-popular. And with the popular and the not-so-popular comes an old, animalistic need of the supposedly 'upper-class' to ensure that the 'lower class' knows where their place is. And with that old, animalistic need comes bullying.

And with bullying, comes the slushie facial.

And suddenly, it's more than just ice and syrup. Suddenly, a slushie is more than just a beverage. Suddenly, it's cold, cruel humiliation; all ready-made in a single cup.

She tries to tell herself that it _is_ just a slushie.

But she can hear the laughs of her peers surrounding her, engulfing her and leaving an uncomfortable clenching sensation in her gut; she can hear Karofsky high-fiving his friends as he throws away the empty plastic cup … and she knows that it _isn't_.

And she knows that he'll just go about his day, as if it _is_ just a slushie.

She doesn't have the same leisure, however. She can't just keep walking as if nothing's happened. Because it's her clothes that are covered in ice … it's her skin that's sticky with syrup … it's _her_ who's the loser who'll always be laughed at looked down upon.

It's her who counts down the days until high school ends, and she can get away from this cow town and everyone in it.

It's her who'll never see a slushie as _just_ a slushie ever again.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	59. No Longer Home

_A/N: Sorry, it's been a little while. I got caught up in the Rookie Blue fanfiction world, lol. If you like Rookie Blue, I've written a bunch of stuff for it under another Pen Name, _RookieGinge_. Check it out if you want, I'd appreciate it!_

_Sorry for the self-plug, lol._

_Just a quickie, but it's all I could think of for the moment. 'You' is Quinn._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You want this to work. You really, really do.

But every time you pass the dining room, the image of Finn singing 'You're Having My Baby' assaults you and won't leave your mind. Every time you pass the sitting room, you can hear you father telling you to get out; you can see your mom walking away from you, leaving you.

You mom's been trying, you know she has. And you want to forgive her; you _do_. But you can't forget every unreturned phone call and every ignored voicemail message, and it's hard to.

All you wanted during your pregnancy – between Finn's house, Puck's house, Mercedes' house, the cravings, the mood swings, and the tears – was to be able to go home.

Now that you're here, though, you're miserable …

And it sure doesn't feel like home.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	60. Just Dance

_A/N: Some Brittany now, because I couldn't resist ;)._

_Isn't she just amazing? I love her character so much, and I can't wait for her episode. (They're filming it right now! Eek!)_

_'You' is Brittany, lol, as she's the one I just said it was about._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You've been dancing ever since you can remember.

It hasn't ever mattered what kind of dancing … any kind will do; as long as you're moving, and testing yourself, and striving to reach new heights.

(It's the only time you've ever felt like you could; reach new heights, that is.)

When you're dancing, you don't have to worry about anything else. You don't have to worry about the math homework that you don't understand. You don't have to worry about the cupcake you ate that morning and how upset Coach would be if she found out about it. You don't have to worry about the strange looks people give you when you say things.

You don't have to worry about whether or not you're good enough. Because when you're dancing, you always are.

It's the one thing you feel like you're _good_ at. It's the one thing that you _understand_. There are no formulas that you can't remember what they stand for; there are no words that you don't know the meanings to; there are no division questions that you can't answer, because you don't know what the line with the circles above and below it is.

There are just the movements and the way you get your body to do them.

There's no one looking down in you, calling you names that you don't understand and giggling when you say something that you don't think is funny.

There's just you, and your feet, and the floor, and people watching in awe.

There's only the dance, and how you feel doing it.

And how you feel is pretty damn amazing.

_-0-0-_

_Pretty please review!_


	61. No One Is Safe

_A/N: I ... honestly have no clue where this came from, lol. (It turned out a lot longer than I thought it would be, though, and that's always plus ;).)_

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Just associating with someone in Glee is enough to seriously lower a person's social standing. They all know that. Actually being a gleek? Practically shoots it all to hell.

Seeing how deep it can actually go, though, is a shock to them all.

At least, not until Santana quietly enters Glee one day, the last to arrive, her Cheerios uniform splattered with cherry and grape slushie. The icy goop drips onto the carpet, and her mascara leaves black smudges where the substance has come into contact with her eyes.

No one really has much to say to the sight before them. The Latina's nostrils flare ever so slightly as she shivers, her eyes steadfastly focused on the ground. A vulnerable Santana Lopez is new territory for them all, and no one is quite sure what to do.

Except, that is, for Rachel.

She grabs the handle of her rolling pink backpack and the head cheerio's hand, briskly leaving the choir room, calling, "Kurt!" hurriedly over her shoulder.

The boy jumps to action once his name is called, digging through his own bag (which is neither pink nor rolling) and ascertaining that he has the materials he needs. He gestures Mercedes and Quinn to follow him, and they do so gracefully and with an obvious purpose. Tina and Brittany share a quick glance before following.

The guys (minus Kurt) are left to glance to one another, knowing that their services will be better utilized at a later time; once they know the assholes who did the deed, and can beat them to a pulp. (Doing and less would be wrong, and it's really the best solution they have.)

The guys remain in the choir room, with the newly arrived and highly confused Mr. Schue. The girls (plus Kurt) are in the bathroom, cleaning Santana of her first ever slushie facial and putting her back together. Rachel handles the clean-up, mostly, having the most personal experience in that area. Kurt handles wardrobe while Mercedes and Quinn perfect the hair and Tina covers make-up. Brittany works on getting her best friend to smile.

There's a tangible uncertainty in the air, in both the choir room and the bathroom …

Because they know that if Santana can be gotten, no one is safe.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	62. It Meant Something

_A/N: An even longer one! Yay! I'm on a roll, lol!_

_Not graphic or anything, but definitely a more _risque_ piece. Just a mild warning there._

_Santana based, kinda ending with something to follow the whole Santana/Finn sex thing in TPOM._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Some girls dream of their first time.

Of it being romantic, and sweet, with the man of their dreams … And then they'd fly off into the sunset and live happily ever after, blah, blah, blah.

She never went for all that shit.

She lost her virginity in a janitor's closet, with a boy whose last name she barely remembers. She doesn't remember what he looked like, or what day it was … it was painful, and messy, and left her anything but satisfied.

It was nothing.

It was just another first in her life that she couldn't care less about.

Since then, she's been with plenty of guys. Some she remembers, some she doesn't. Some were good, some were mediocre … a distinct few were pretty fantastic lays. Sometimes when she does it, she's drunk and doesn't remember it in the morning; (sometimes she's drunk and _does_ remember, through a massive hangover). Mostly it's just one night stands … a couple were a little something more. Never anything serious, though. The most 'serious' relationship she's ever had was with Puck; and that's saying something, seeing as she 'broke up' with him over his credit score. Not that they don't still hook-up from time to time; he's one of those few fantastic lays (the best, probably), and he's always up for (usually _only_ up for) the no-strings-attached approach. All the amazing sex, with none of the worries about commitment and feelings; she doesn't think there's a better arrangement to be found.

Some people call her a slut; easy, a whore, etc. She doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks. She does whatever the hell she wants, whenever the hell she wants. What's so wrong with not saying no, anyways? Why say no in the first place, is what she thinks.

Now, all that said … it doesn't mean that she never feels anything. She _feels_, alright. She tries to forget it; she tries to push down the feelings. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard; but she always somehow manages.

Finn's not the best she's ever had. Seriously, it was the dude's first time when they did it; he didn't know what he was doing, and it was over almost as soon as it really started.

But it didn't mean '_nothing_'. She's not quite sure what it meant, but she knows that it meant _something_. (At least it did to her.)

She's not sure why it hurts so much when he says that it was meaningless to him. It shouldn't hurt; not her. She's the one who shouldn't feel anything, damn it! She's the one who's been trying since the start to not feel anything.

He shouldn't be able to just barge in with his overrated dopey expression and annoying preschool naivety and make her feel something. Damn it, he shouldn't be able to affect her the way he does; she's not Rachel _fucking_ Berry, for God's sake!

It should've meant nothing to her, too. But it didn't – it meant something …

No matter how much she wishes it didn't.

_-0-0-_

_Just had to write it, because since then some Santana/Finn fics have been surfacing and I'd like to think that that night with Finn didn't mean nothing to her._

_Please review, and let me know what you think!_


	63. Inevitable: Not So Much

_A/N: Popped into my head after thinking about the events of 'Dream On' with Rachel and Jesse._

_Not St. Berry; just Rachel-centric with mentions of something Jesse said._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Years ago, a boy she was in love with told her something.

He made a promise, of sorts.

And she believed him. After all, how could she not? All his promise did was confirm what she had already deluded herself long ago into thinking was nothing but the truth.

It wasn't a promise that he could make, though. Well, he _could_ make it, obviously, as he _did_.

But it wasn't a promise that he could keep.

He told her that her seeing her name in lights, her being on Broadway, wasn't so much a wish as inevitable.

'Inevitable' or not, though, she's still waiting on that.

She works long days as a waitress in a seedy diner a couple blocks away from her tiny, rundown apartment, spending her evenings singing in an even seedier bar around the corner. She gets applause and praise, sure … but most of the clientele are down in the dumps and/or drunk. None of them are directors that are going to see her and hand her a business card. None of them are going to be responsible for putting her name in lights.

In the few years since she's been here in New York, trying to catch her big break, she's held on to Jesse's words.

Still, she holds on; she doesn't give up hope.

But she can't help but wonder how long it will be until those words start mocking her instead of being her comfort; she can't help but wonder when it will have been _too_ long with nothing to show for her time.

She can't help but wonder when her hope will run out.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	64. Voicemail Message

_A/N: This one,I'm pretty proud of. I really enjoyed writing it :). I hope you enjoy reading it just as much._

_Set sometime after everything that's already aired; no specific time, and not a specific tag._

_-0-0-_

_Ring, ring; ring, ring._

'_You've reached the cell phone of Rachel Berry (insert star here). I'm sorry I'm unable to answer the phone right now; I usually pride myself on never being unreachable, but I must be busy. Leave your name and a message after the tone, and I'll be sure to –'_

_Beep._

"Hey, Rachel …

It's, um; well, it's Kurt.

Wow, this feels awkward.

I know that we're not exactly friends, by any means. You're often conceited and abrasive, and I'm often a tad snide and unwelcome. It appeared, at first, that we were just far too different to ever see things in the same light.

But I'm starting to think that we're more alike than we are different.

Sure, I'm finely attuned to fashion and pride myself on what I wear, and you wear … _clothing_, for lack of a better word, that manages to simultaneously make you look like both an old lady and a toddler. And yes, I'm more accepted than you are within our small, misfit group.

But on a larger scale – despite the fact that I have more friends than you do – we're both social rejects. Also, we're both divas with highly inflated egos that manage to conceal our scarily low self-esteems and most prominent insecurities.

And – I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but – I'm oddly inclined to think that the aforementioned _similarities_ outweigh the fashion _differences_ in importance … _dear Gucci have mercy on my soul for even thinking such_.

Anyways, I'm just calling you because you missed school two days in a row, and – as you so often see fit to inform us all – you never miss school; (heck, you made your dads reschedule a vacation to the Bahamas because you refused to miss the Friday before spring break). And I'm actually a little, dare I say it, worried about you.

Finn's a douche bag, Rachel. I should know; I spent as long as you did in chasing after him, and now we live together and he's practically my step-brother. He doesn't mean to be, I don't think. I'm not even sure he realizes it; bless his poor, dumb, naïve soul. But he is.

And no one deserves what he did. Not even you.

Sorry, this was all supposed to be more comforting.

Um, I know you're not inclined to want to talk to me about it, after everything. (I'm sorry for the makeover before Sectionals, by the way. I was really out of line.) And I don't know who you have to talk to at this point … we've all been so terrible to you for so long. But you should talk to _someone_ about it; I think it'll help.

And come back to school. You _are_ Rachel freaking Berry, after all; don't let some guy get you down.

Oh, Mercedes says hi. And that you're welcome to come shopping with us on Saturday, if you'd like. Your skirts aren't actually so bad, in hind sight; but those sweaters are _horrendous_, honey, sorry.

Um, so … yeah, that's it.

See you tomorrow, then, hopefully; or Saturday at the mall, at the very least.

Bye."

_Click._

_-0-0-_

_Please review and let me know what you thought!_


	65. Sometimes They Forget

_A/N: I really don't know where this future Finn/Quinn angst idea came from ... but I decided to roll with it ;)._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

It's perfect.

Really, it is.

Every night when he comes home from work to their three-bedroom house in Columbus, he kisses her with the same affection that he had in high school, before the baby-daddy scandal. (After all of their high school drama, the fact that they've ended up together is a miracle; a miracle that both of them are thankful for each and every day.) He ruffles their five-year-old son's hair, and picks up their two-year-old daughter and swings her around, relishing in her sweet carefree giggles. Later, after he tucks Elizabeth in, and she Nathan, he pulls her close, kisses her gently and whispers 'I love you' in her ear, just as genuinely as he did on their wedding day.

But nothing's ever really perfect, is it.

Sometimes, when she's coloring with Nathan she pictures a girl twice his age, with her hair and her husband's best friend's eyes … and she can't help but wonder what her life would be like if she had kept Beth and were living out her life with Puck.

Sometimes, he imagines Elizabeth in a couple years, with brown hair instead of blonde, belting out songs from The Little Mermaid with a clearer, more powerful voice than that of her mother's … and he can't help but wonder what his life would be like if he were with Rachel, and what their kids would look like.

But they love each other, they _do_ … even if they can't help but occasionally dwell in their pasts and the many, many possibilities it held for them; all the paths they could have chosen to walk down, but didn't.

It's not that they know this is their only shot at perfection. (Okay, it's not _just_ that they know this is their only shot at perfection.) They both know that they should move on.

They just … can't quite seem to.

They can't quite seem to get past the fear that they made the wrong choices back in high school, and in the years afterwards. They can't seem to let go of all the other possibilities they'd had and let slip through the cracks.

But then they look into each other's eyes, and all of the doubts magically fade away. Because they're living a wonderful life that they're grateful for, and they're in love.

Really, they are.

Even if sometimes they just forget.

They always remember, though, in the end …

And that's really all that matter, isn't it?

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	66. Not A Slut

_A/N: Not sure where this came from ... but I decided to roll with it, like I always do ;)._

_No reviews for the previous one yet. I'm not sure if that means that it was crappy ... but if that's so, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know._

_[BTW, I just wrote and posted a Puckleberry oneshot entitled 'It's All In The Being Here'. Check it out, if you want, and let me know what you think :)!]_

_The 'you' in this fic is Brittany._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You're not a slut.

At least, you don't think you are.

Sure, maybe you like flaunt your body in your uniform, and you kind of enjoy the attention that guys give you because of it. (But it's just like everyone always said at the celibacy club meetings – before everyone found out that Quinn got knocked up, and the group totally fell apart: it's all about the teasing, and not about the pleasing.)

And yeah, you've made out with almost every guy in the school (including the janitor), and some of the girls, too. But you like kissing, and you're just trying to get a perfect record in something … What's so wrong with that?

You don't sleep with guys randomly, and you know how to say no; (you don't share San's philosophy on that in the slightest). It's not like you can be labeled _easy_ just because you're a Cheerio and you've kissed almost everyone … right? Your legs aren't open for service, and you haven't even had sex that many times; just with San, and Mike … oh, and that one time with Puck. (Okay, maybe two times … but still.)

You're not a slut …

At least you don't think so.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	67. Nonexistent Expectations

_A/N: Kinda angst-y. Written because I don't think that anyone gives Puck enough credit. [Not even the writers sometimes ;).]_

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Your father's a bastard.

You know it, your mom knows it. Hell, the whole fucking _town_ of Lima knows it.

He was always a deadbeat, even when he was still around. Constantly reeking of alcohol; coming home late and drunk off his ass; throwing around slurred curse words and the not-so-uncommon slap or two. As terrible as it is, leaving was probably the best thing he ever did for you.

(Cleaning out the bank account before he went on his way, and leaving your mom to try and make ends meet while raising you and your newborn baby sister? Not so much.)

Even though he's gone and none of you have to deal with his sorry ass anymore, you still – unfortunately – carry his last name; and it haunts you. Because the apple never falls far from the tree, right? And everyone just expects you to be just as much of a deadbeat bastard as he is.

Sure, you haven't really helped too much to rid yourself of that assumption. What with the Mohawk, and the cougars, your love 'em and leave 'em approach to chicks, and your all-around 'bad boy' image … You suppose that you could have tried to do more to set yourself apart from the man partially responsible for your very existence. (But Lima's a small town with small-minded people, after all, so you don't think that there's anything you could have done – or can do – to wipe your slate clean.)

You certainly _want_ to be more than just the Lima Loser that even the mother of your child sees as you. And you do try; a little. It was just too easy to slip into the pattern that everyone always expected you to follow … (Hell, your own mom compared you to the Nazis once. That hurt, even if you'd never admit it.) … And it's not so easy to try and slip out of it.

You want to change; you want to prove that you're a better man than anyone gives you credit for.

It's just kind of hard to when nobody even bothers to have any higher expectations of you.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	68. Impossible Perfection

_A/N: Really angst-y Rachel drabble, that really depressed me to write ... but I'm still just rolling with whatever my muse will give me._

_BTW, just posted another character piece ... this time Matt! (: I'd really appreciate it if you wold check it out!_

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You've spent your whole life striving for perfection.

Every lesson, every practice, every rehearsal, every performance; it's all been leading up to perfection.

It's all you've ever wanted.

Because if you can just be perfect, maybe your mom will come back; maybe your dads will be proud of you for once, instead of just wanting more. (They can't expect anything more of you if you're perfect, right?) If you're perfect, maybe the other kids at school won't hate you; maybe they won't throw slushies in your face; maybe they'll like you; maybe you'll finally have friends.

If you're perfect, maybe everything will be okay.

(If _you_'re perfect, maybe everything else will be perfect, too.)

You need to be perfect, because you need everything else to be okay …

Perfection isn't really possible, though, is it?

And the more you fail at being perfect, the more you _need_ to be. (Because the more you aren't, the more disappointed your dads are; and the more disappointed your dads are, the more miserable you are; and the more miserable you are, the more distracted you are; and the more distracted you are, the less good at being perfect you are.)

Nobody's perfect, as much as you really want to be. So you're just caught up in a vicious cycle of striving for something that you can never achieve and striving for it that much more, and failing that much harder.

You've spent your whole life trying to be perfect, and you think that you might just spend the rest of it trying to be perfect, too …

Even though you know that you never can be.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	69. Just One Thing

_A/N: Sorry, it's been a while. I think I ran dry after the few things I posted over the weekend ;)._

_This one's another Puck drabble, because the last one was so sad. This one's a little more optimistic, even if it's kind of random, lol._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

He'd never admit it, but sometimes he hangs back in the choir room just to play.

He could do it at home probably just as well, but he likes the privacy that the school offers. At home his sister would be all over him, pestering him to play the kind of music she likes. (And as much as he says he could wear a dress to school and make it cool, he just can't rock those shitty Hannah Montana songs.) Sometimes he just messes around with chords, or finds a music book and learns a song or two. Other times, though, he'll grab a couple sheets of blank staff paper and a pencil, and try to throw together a half-decent tune.

He's started a bunch, but hasn't finished a single one. He doesn't know why, but every time he tries to pluck out an ending to bring it all together, he just can't make it work. It either ends up too forced, too choppy … or it will simply refuse to be written at all.

He doesn't know when, exactly, or if ever, he'll finish them all. He thinks that probably, he won't.

But he's determined to, one day, complete one. Just one; he doesn't need any more than that. But he thinks that it would pretty awesome to write one full song, just to have written it; something to leave behind … Just one thing, at the very least, to look back on and be proud of.

He figures that if he can even do just that, he'll be proving a lot of people wrong about who he is, and what he's capable of.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	70. Feeling Terrible

_A/N: Angst-y Rachel/Finn with mentions of St. Berry. Not sure where it came from ... but I was randomly in the mood for angst, and I'm usually better at Finchel angst than I am Puckleberry angst - I much prefer Puck and Rachel to be happy, lol ;) - so this came out._

_(On a side note, I actually have a lot of angst-y Puckleberry stuff floating around in my head, so maybe a couple oneshot are in the near future before school starts.)_

_(And about school: it starts up on Tuesday, and I'll most likely be insanely busy. But I won't ever give up on the drabbles, don't worry!)_

_Any requests? I'm very open, and - for the most part - all out of ideas!_

_Anyways, on to the drabble! 'You' is Rachel. Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You feel like a terrible person.

Because after all this time of wanting Finn, you finally have him … but whenever you're with him, there's another boy you can't seem to get off of your mind. A boy with dark, curly hair, and bright blue eyes; a boy with the clearest voice you've ever heard (except perhaps Kurt, on occasion, but that's different); a boy that cracked an egg on your forehead and stole first place from you (and the rest of New Directions, of course); a boy that you can't seem to get over, as hard as you try.

You care for Finn, greatly; you do. He's wonderful, and caring, and sincere, and so many things that more than make up for his naivety and sometimes clueless nature. You're so lucky to have him, and you know it; you'd be lucky to have almost anyone, really, considering your reputation and social standing … but with Finn it's a different kind of lucky.

You think that you may love him … (Not quite yet, of course; it hasn't been nearly long enough for the L-word to come in on your side of the equation, even though he's said it plenty of times. It's not a word you use lightly.) … You think that you're coming to love him, slowly but steadily.

You _know_, however, that you loved Jesse. And there's a small voice in the back of your head telling you that you maybe you still do. You're not so certain about that, but just the possibility that you might be haunts you and leaves an unsettled, uncomfortable feeling in the bottom of your gut … an agonizingly guilty feeling.

Finn knows it, too; that you loved Jesse. (Perhaps not that you might still, but he knows that you're having a hard – read: impossible – time getting over the boy on the other side of the country with the curly hair and blue eyes.) And that only makes you feel worse.

Because he can tell that, sometimes, you have to force a smile; because he lets it be, and for the most part tries to ignore it. Because he doesn't bring it up, ever … doesn't use it against you; doesn't throw it in your face when the two of you have a rare disagreement that escalates to shouting. Because he keeps quiet about it and stays by your side.

Because it hurts him, deeply, even though he'd never admit; because he loves you, and he's told you, and you haven't said it back to him (and you still can't in good conscience).

You feel like you're using him, because you haven't been able to fully commit yourself to him and only him the way he has for you. You're not, of course … using him. He means so much to you. But it feels like it, because sometimes you wonder if you're with him because you want _him_ and only him or because you want _someone_, and he's just been willingly around; most of the time you know that it's all him … but those doubts in the back of your head won't disappear.

You stick with him, though. You rest your head on his shoulder when he wraps his arm around you, and you kiss him back as fervently and happily as he kisses you, and you relish in all-around pleasant the feeling of having him at your side.

But you have to force a smile when he says 'I love you', and kiss him to avoid the deafening silence afterwards when you don't say it back.

And it makes you feel like a terrible, terrible person.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	71. Not Worth It

_A/N: This one's random, and I hate how it turned out. But I just can't seem to make it any better, so I'm posting it anyways._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

"He's not worth it, you know," Mike says quietly, dropping into the seat beside her on a couch. "Finn," he clarifies when she turns to look at him with an eyebrow quirked up questioningly, nodding towards the tall, naïve boy across the room. "He's not worth it, especially not if he ditched you at a party he invited you to."

Rachel blushes at his words, dropping her head down to her chest and shaking her head lightly. "He didn't …" she begins to protest, stopping when he raises an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Yeah, I know," she whispers over the din of the party (which makes it really more of a shout), glancing back over at the boy in question. "He keeps hurting me, and I'm always determined to make it the last time … but then he smiles that stupid, dopey smile at me, and I give him another chance."

"Why?" Mike asks, recapturing her attention.

"I wish I knew," she replies, sighing. "I think it's because he's my only chance," she admits quietly, looking away again. "It's not like there are any guys knocking down my door for a date. Except him; even if he's doing a terrible job at it."

"That's not true," Mike tries insisting, only to be cut off.

"Yes it is!" she says furiously, no one around them hearing because of the loud music playing. "I'm a freak; no one wants to date me."

No sooner are the words out of her mouth before his lips crash into hers. "I do," he whispers when he pulls back, staring down into her eyes.

"What?" she asks him, disbelieving. "Really?"

He just nods, smiling, capturing her lips again with his.

_-0-0_

_Please review!_


	72. Boredom

_A/N: This one ... just kind of came, lol. Might have taken ten minutes, in the end. And this one, I like :)._

_'You' is Tina._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Boredom, plain and simple, seems to be the theme for your first week of summer vacation.

Spending four hours a day behind a cash register at the local supermarket? Not your idea of fun, by any means. You'd rather be in your backyard in a hammock, reading a book. Or sitting under the willow by the pond at the park and sketching the people passing by. Or watching Star Wars with Artie; (were he not in Miami with his family at his grandparent's home for the next three months). Even shopping with Mercedes and Kurt (and enduring their thinly veiled frustration with your mostly-black wardrobe) would be preferable to this, you think.

But this is your parents' condition. They think that wasting your time in Glee instead of focusing on your studies (despite your continued 4.0 GPA throughout the previous year) is going to seriously sabotage your chances of a scholarship at Yale or Harvard. And in order to remain in the club you have to devote your time to saving up for tuition. (It doesn't matter that you don't even remotely plan on going to Harvard or Yale, ever; you don't want to be a lawyer or a doctor, you want to be an artist – not that you could ever tell your mom and dad that. They've got expectations for your future, and you won't dare to tell them that you'll be doing otherwise until you're eighteen and out of their house. They can't control you then.) So you plaster a fake smile on your face, and pretend not to be frustrated when old ladies going through your till pull out a crap load of coupons and hold up the line behind them; pretend that you're not counting down the minutes until your shift is over and you can get the hell out of this place.

Your shift continues much the same way for another hour until your co-worker, a nice girl with a pleasant disposition named Amber, takes over. You give her a genuine smile, hand over your apron, and happily clock out.

You're still bored as you walk home, and you don't have a clue what you're going to do for the next couple months, but at least you're not back in that store, choking on the rotten-produce smell and listening to a bored voice on the intercom announce inane things like 'clean-up in aisle four'.

You decide to stop by the park instead of going straight home, subconsciously heading for 'your' spot under the willow.

You take a seat on the grass, mentally calculating scenery you can paint or draw this summer, before you notice Mike standing a few yards away, skipping stones in the pond. He turns around and waves at you with a carefree smile, and you think that maybe, if you play things right, this summer might not be so boring after all.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	73. What You Wanted

_A/N: Wow, I cracked 700! It was never supposed to be this long, but I'm very proud of myself nonetheless. Just kind of came to me. Slight spoiler for upcoming season (STOP READING NOW IF YOU'RE OPPOSED, I MEAN IT), because I know from the promo that Quinn is once again a Cheerio, and that Finn admitted to still having feelings for her._

_Anyways, kind of angst-y I guess ... mostly just Quinn-centric about what she thought she wanted, and noticing that it's really not all it's cracked up to be._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

This is what you wanted, right?

You did spend all summer working off all the baby fat, after all. (Well, that and trying to forget about the little girl that had taken up residence inside of you for nine months, who'll one day call Shelby Corcoran of all people 'mama'.) And the first day of school, you were all geared up for a full-out confrontation with Coach Sylvester. You'd practiced everything that you'd say to her in front of the mirror, going over everything you could possibly use to blackmail her into giving you back a spot on the Cheerios; instead, she'd taken one long look at you – just enough time for a very obvious once-over – when you dared to step into her office without knocking or having been previously requested, and told you to pick up your uniform ASAP and be at the after school practice.

You're slowly but steadily working your way back up through the ranks. It's not like everyone managed to mysteriously forget your pregnancy scandal, so you're not on top at the moment; but you're on your way there, and you think that you might be able to take back your rightful throne by Christmas. Or at least up to second in command, behind Santana, who's taken quite the liking to being the HBIC and seems rather sour at the thought of giving it up, even though you're back to being BFFs with her and Brittany.

The crowds are parting for you in the hallways again, and it feels good to have people staring at your face or your uniform in admiration (or jealousy, or fear) instead of at your abdomen in disgust or pity. (Some of the whispers going through the halls about you must have something to do with the baby, but you choose to pleasantly overlook that fact. The more you can manage to not think about her, the less it hurts.)

This is what you wanted. This is what you mourned the loss of all last year for the duration of your pregnancy, and this is what you've dedicated to much effort into restoring.

Heck, Finn even admitted that he still has feelings for you! That, above all else, should make you completely ecstatic. Sure, he's still with Rachel for the moment … but you don't think that that's going to last. In no time the two of you can go back to ruling the school as the It couple. You've missed him so much, and knowing that he doesn't completely hate your guts for everything that happened last year is such a relief.

But when you pass Puck in the hallways, you can't help but stare at him out of the corner of your eye. You can't help the small pang that you feel in your gut, telling you that you're missing out on your chance with him; telling you that you actually want to take that chance, even though you can't seem to work up the nerve to speak to him.

And when you're sitting at the 'popular table' in the cafeteria, noticing freshman Cheerios determinedly not eating and faking laughs at the terrible jokes that the jocks are telling, you can't help but spare a glance to the Gleeks, sitting together and chuckling and smiling. They were so kind to you before, accepting you when no one else would. And you never admitted it, but you had much more fun at that table that you ever have at the 'popular table'. Lunch hour was a genuinely happy event; they're not overly superficial and self-absorbed. (Not to the extent that the Neanderthals and Airheads seem capable of pulling off.)

You wanted your popularity back; you wanted Finn.

But now you think that you made a mistake. You think that you would have been way more happy staying off the Cheerios and hanging with the Gleeks. You think you'd have been happier with Puck, even though at first it was just too painful to look into his eyes; (the same eyes that your baby girl has, wherever she may happen to be at the moment).

Yeah, this is what you wanted.

But you're not sure that you do anymore.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	74. Stuck Behind A Mask

_A/N: So sorry it's been so long! School got in the way, unfortunately. This one's pretty long, though, so I hope it kind of makes up for it! (And I'll try to get another one up ASAP! Any requests? I live for them, please!)_

_Now, onto some Rachel! (Yeah, I know, her again.) Anyways, I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

She likes to think that she's a talented actress. (And she totally is. She doesn't like to sound conceited, but she's been taking classes since she could talk, can cry on demand, and can mold herself into any role presented to her.) It's certainly been a goal of hers, and is a requirement for the future of stardom on Broadway that she's so desperately been holding out for ever since she can remember.

She's proud to say that she can now take a slushie facial with almost no reaction. No falter in her stride, no accidentally-showing facial cues of distress or of sadness; she's basically a pro. And as sad as it is that's she's had all the practice in it, she _has_ and it's not something she can just forget; and at least she has something to show for it (even if heightened acting abilities are a poor trade off for a slushie in the face almost every day, in her books).

Now, though, she's not so sure that the talent is one that's all that good to have.

Because, sure, she'd have an advantage if she ever decided to play poker (if she knew how to play, that is, and were she not whole-heartedly opposed to the whole idea of gambling in any way), but in her current situation she wishes people could see through her.

Because she feels like she's spiraling out of control. Sometimes it's like she can't seem to breathe, and she hasn't eaten a single thing in two whole days. (She's tired of looking at herself in the mirror and hating what she sees; she's tired of being called 'fat' by Cheerios.) She knows it's wrong. She's not stupid, and they started preach about how awful eating disorders are in grade six, if not earlier. Her stomach churns and churns with hunger and she just wants to tear the pizza Mike seems to eat every lunch out of his hands and take a big bite of it. But at the same time, the thought of putting food into her body sickens her, because she already feels like a pig, and she doesn't think she'd be able to make her throat muscles swallow it.

And no one notices a thing. The first day Mercedes gave her a weird look at lunch, but she just smiled easily as she broke down inside and told the spirited girl that Daddy had made a really big breakfast and she was just _so_ stuffed from it. (Not a complete lie; Daddy did make a big breakfast, even if she didn't eat any of it, and she _does_ feel kind of stuffed – as in big – even though her stomach's empty.) Everyone just shrugs it off, and she plasters on a bright smile as her insides scream. She doesn't even know who she is anymore, and she really just needs somebody to see that she's not nearly as okay as she appears on the inside. She's spirally deep, down into herself, and she needs somebody to pull get her back out.

But nobody sees, because she's stuck in a well-crafted, too-perfect mask that she hasn't been at all successful in ridding herself of. If only she could reach out and ask for help …

But she can't, and no one else seems able to realize that she needs it.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	75. Less Than A Year

_A/N: OMG! This was ready to go Tuesday, even uploaded to the Document Manager! I just realized now when people started reviewing the one I just posted that I had never posted this! So sorry, guys! I hate when I do this!_

_-0-0-_

It takes less than a year to go from bullying people like Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry to singing alongside them in a club you once referred to as 'Homo Explosion'.

It takes less than a year to screw over your best friend since forever, and father his girlfriend's baby. (And still less than a year to lose your baby girl forever, and start to mend things with your best friend.)

It takes less than a year for you to realize that being a juvenile delinquent isn't really all it's cracked up to be, and to start making a change.

It takes less than a year to make you realize that your best bet of getting out of this cow town will be with a high school diploma. (It's been more than a year since the last Math class you attended, but better late than never, right?)

It takes less than a year for you to realize that no matter what you do, people are still going to expect nothing but the worst because of your last name and the jackass who gave you half of your DNA, and to give up on proving them wrong. (It takes less than a year for you to decide to screw it, because as long as you prove to yourself that you're capable of being more than a Lime Loser, it doesn't matter if anyone else gives a shit.)

It takes less than a year for a petite brunette (that you used to throw slushies at) to turn your entire world upside down.

It takes less than a year for you to man up and admit your feelings for her.

It takes more than a year after you've both graduated and started living in New York to work up the nerve to pull out that ring in the back of your sock drawer and get down on one knee … but even if it takes a while, it's definitely more than worth the wait in the end.

_-0-0-_

_Sorry, DCoD ... some more Puckleberry. But you can overlook a few lines and pretend she's Quinn, if you want ;)._

_Please review!_


	76. Love The Way You Lie

_A/N: Wow, this is really angsty and sad. And OOC Finn, IMO, because in my mind he isn't this awful even if he's misguided most of the time. Anyways, was listening to 'Love The Way You Lie' by Eminem (feat. Rihanna) and this came about._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Rachel Berry is a lot of things.

She's determined, and abrasive, and strong, and weak, and as equally unsure of herself on the inside as she is sure of herself on the outside. She often says the wrong thing – the _really_ wrong thing, if the glares she gets from her teammates when she can't help but spew out critique of others during practice are to be taken into consideration – and she wants everything too much.

But one thing she is not is an idiot.

(Sometimes she feels overwhelmingly stupid or oblivious, like the time she had a very unwelcome and inappropriate crush on Mr. Schuester, but she's never been an idiot.)

She knows what he's doing. She knows that he's not faithful to her. She knows that when he's busy with 'family things', he's really having sexual relations his ex-girlfriend. (Kind of ironic that the former queen of the chastity club is now willingly giving it up on a regular basis, but she doesn't find it as funny as she would in other circumstances, because she's giving it up to _her_ boyfriend.)

She knows that he tries to wipe her lip gloss from his lips … but sometimes she can still taste it when he kisses her.

It makes her sick. It makes her stomach churn with pain and her mind turn with anger, but she doesn't confront him about it. She doesn't say anything to protest it, even when her insides are screaming at her to; even though she knows that he knows that she knows that he knows that she knows that he'll never fully commit to her. Not when he's still in love with Quinn.

She still comes second best, even if she's the one he chooses to be with publicly instead of in the shadows.

She hates it. Hates the kind of person he must be to do this to her; Finn, who she once thought was so sweet and innocent and kind. Hates the kind of person she thinks she must be to let him get away with it; hates that she can't leave him.

She doesn't love the way he lies … not by any means. But she loves _him_, and she can't seem to gather up the will to leave, as much as she knows she should.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	77. Proverbial Dog House

_A/N: So, I was just randomly remembering that IKEA commercial about the cupboards in the kitchen where the announcer guys like: 'Saving David from a night spent in the proverbial dog house' or something like that, and this came to mind. Just some random Puckleberry, with an established relationship in the future. Because, come on, they're meant to be but there's no way they're not going to fight all the time (;._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

It's not like he means to screw up all the time. He actually tries pretty hard to _not_ screw up. But he's still just a guy, even if he's a certified badass, and sometimes he's kind of clueless.

"Baby, come on, why are you so pissed at me?"

The only response he gets to that is a sharp glare. _You'd think he'd have learned by now that it usually just pisses chicks off more when a guy doesn't realize what they did wrong._ She just walks through the door once he's unlocked it and leaves him in the dust.

"Rach, seriously … I'm sorry for whatever I did," he tells her sincerely, closing the front door behind him as he steps inside and toes off his shoes. Walking up to her and grabbing hold of her arm, he gently tries to draw her to him. She pulls away firmly, though, shaking her head at him and stalking to their bedroom, closing the door behind her. "Oh, so you're just going to ignore me and give me the fucking silent treatment instead of helping me try to fix this … whatever this is?"

The bedroom door opens again, and he almost smiles before his pillow is launched at his head and the door is slammed closed. He flinches at the sound, sighing when he hears the lock click. Grabbing his pillow from the ground by his feet, he shakes his head gently and tosses it on the couch.

So much for saving himself from the proverbial dog house tonight; seems like he only made it worse.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	78. Beautifully Broken

_A/N: Some Quinn angst, because there's no way giving up a baby is an easy thing to live with, and I just like writing angst. [Maybe that makes me a little twisted, I don't know; it just seems to roll out of my muse easier.]_

_Also because I read the term 'beautifully broken' as a title somewhere on here, and it stuck with me; and I figured I could give Rachel a little rest for the time being ;)._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

She thinks that the term 'beautifully broken' is a cruel oxymoron.

Broken isn't beautiful. Broken is ugly, and twisted, and horrible. Beautiful is something people want to be; broken is a far-from-desirable state of being.

Looking at her pale, drawn face in the mirror, she can feel her broken insides shifting within her and scraping against her resolve … and she certainly doesn't feel beautiful. She feels awful, sick to her stomach, and she really just wants to fall back into her bed and spend the day sleeping and crying and occasionally working out of eating like she has been all summer.

But it's the first day of school, and she's pretty sure that a call from school stating her lack of presence would jerk even her mother out of the alcoholic stupor she's been living in, and force her to see that something's wrong with her daughter. (And as much as she'd like to, she can't spend her life hidden away up here; it can't be healthy, and it certainly isn't helping her sanity.)

She moves from her vanity to take a look in the floor-length mirror. She's wearing jeans, surprisingly; but she worked hard to slim back down to size and they don't look bad on her, she doesn't think. (Besides, all her dresses remind her of a certain baby-bump that used to be there, and that's the last thing she can handle right now; and the only skirt she ever liked was the Cheerios one that she doesn't have any right to wear anymore.) Those paired with a neutral, fitted tee make her look like you're your average teenage girl in Lima, and that's what she really needs at the moment; to blend in, go through the motions, and make it a day without breaking down.

Because maybe 'beautifully broken' can't exist; but if it can, she's going to prove her best to be it.

_-0-0-_

_Please review; it's Monday, and I need something to smile at ;)!_


	79. Lacking Advice

_A/N: Really random. I honestly don't know what possessed me. Seriously, though; it's VERY odd, lol._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

"I just … Finn's amazing, and sweet, and I thought I wanted him for so long ... But it was kind of like he kept choosing his reputation over me you know? And I'm quite aware that I'm a high-maintenance girl and all, but I don't think that's a reasonable excuse for throwing me to the wayside so he can 'find his inner rock star' or whatever it was."

_As if she doesn't know exactly what it is that he'd said to her that day in the hallway._

"And then there's Noah. He's so … annoying, and conceited, and _Puck_. But then he says something and I can't help but smile or laugh; even at some of the crude, unintelligent, ridiculously innuendo-laced things that come out of his mouth. And now … now, I don't have a clue who I want."

She turns around and glances at her bed, and the plush rabbit and bear sitting there.

"And God, I wish I had real friend to talk to about this."

Not that she doesn't love her stuffed animals … they're actually very good listeners. But when it comes to advice, they're kind of … close-mouthed, one might say.

And does she ever need some advice right now.

_-0-0-_

_Please review._


	80. Over & Done With

_A/N: Kind of random ..._

_-0-0-_

It's not like the movies. (Or it is, actually, depending on the movie.)

But it's not really special, in any sense. It's a little awkward on her part, and most of it gets lost in a mix of pain and a little bit of blood and a feeling that she can't quite describe. It's not an unpleasant sensation after the initial discomfort, but it's new and she can't really say that she understand what it means for her (or him); or if it even means anything at all. She's just kind of really confused.

She doesn't regret it, she doesn't think … but a part of her wonders if she was ready. It's too late now of course, and it's not like she's sitting at home wishing with every fiber of her being that she hadn't gone through with it (she is at home, just not wishing the latter).

She's not even sure if she wishes it had been like the movies. She's almost kind of glad in a weird way that she didn't just live out some already scripted cliché. It was weird, and different, and not what she expected – though she's not sure what she _did_ expect – and she's glad. Because no matter what it was, it happened; and it's a part of her history now.

That, at least, she can accept easily. Maybe she was expecting it to mean something more than it did, but it's out of the way now, and all her unrealistic dreams for it are gone.

It's oddly … _freeing_, in a way, to be rid of it.

Even if the tenderness between her legs makes her feel a little more empty on the inside than she did before, and her head is still spinning a little bit.

_-0-0-_

_A/N(2): This one turned out kinda generic. When I started it was with Rachel in mind, and most likely Puck ... but I never really decided, lol. And I don't think it was too subtle, but in case it was, it was about a girl (Rachel, in my mind, but whoever I guess) losing her virginity._

_So yeah, lol._

_Please review!_


	81. Can't Look Away

_A/N: This is Rachel, BTW._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

She should look away.

All she's doing by refusing to move her eyes away from Quinn and Finn is torturing herself; it's not like she doesn't already know that the whole reason Finn broke up with her was to get back with Quinn (though how he can just go back to the girl who lied to him and broke his heart, she doesn't know).

She's just watching the inevitable, unable to take her eyes off of the scene playing out. Quinn giggling and twirling her ponytail around her fingers, Finn smiling down at her and leaning down and pressing his lips to hers; it's like a horror movie that she can't tear her gaze away from, even though she knows that the axe murderer is about to strike and she should close her eyes or look away, or something; anything to prevent seeing the carnage that will forever be stuck in her mind.

But she's stuck watching it, and she can feel her heart breaking with every passing second.

_-0-0-_

_A/N(2): Not sure if I like this. But it is what it is, and it's just what happened to pop into my mind this morning when I started it quickly before I had to go._

_Please review!_


	82. Doesn't Matter

_A/N: Some Artie/Tina fluff, because I realized I haven't written any of that in, like, forever._

_Dedicated to Artie(dot)Tina(dot)Gleek [sorry, when I do the actual dots the site censors it like a URL, lol] for obvious reasons (;._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

It's easy to forget, when he's with her.

When they're laughing and talking and teasing each other and having fun, it's easy to let it slip from his mind; easy to pretend that he's just another teenage kid, that he wasn't in that car accident all those years ago.

He loves that she has this affect on him; loves that when he's looking at her – with her blue-streaked hair and thick makeup and dark clothing, and contrastingly contagious bright smile – it's like the rest of the world just goes away. Like she's working some miracle cure on him, that, while not bringing function back to his legs, at least makes it seem as though his paralysis isn't an issue.

And really, maybe it isn't, after all; even if he'll never be a dancer, never be able to run a marathon, and only be able to wheel her over the threshold instead of carrying her in his arms … maybe none of it matters. Because when he's with her (which he kind of hopes to be for the rest of his life, if he's allowed to be thinking like that in high school) it doesn't.

It really just doesn't, and he loves that.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	83. Getting Lucky

_A/N: This one's for 'SappsterGleek', who requested some Mike/Tina. This is the first thing I thought of, but I'll definitely be trying for some more of them in the future! And just because I can't respond to anonymous reviewers, lol, I just wanted to say thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoyed my drabbles and that I can make you smile ... sometimes (;. I really hope you enjoy!_

_And, of course, I hope the rest of you enjoy as well!_

_Anyways, here it is; a little longer, because the last couple have been too short, I know._

_-0-0-_

Mike doesn't know how he got so lucky.

A year ago he was just another football dude – the Asian guy that people passed in the hallways and high-fived pointlessly – biding his time at McKinley (waiting for the day that he can finally escape this messed up place), and too afraid to dance outside of his room.

It's amazing how far he's come in what's relatively so little time in the greater span of things. He's in Glee club, for one thing. Not to mention that he's now legitimately friends with people like Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry, who he'd only known well enough before Glee to know their names as he passed them in the hallways, and casually see covered in slushie or climbing out of a dumpster. And the most important thing, the most recent development … he thinks he's in love with Tina Cohen-Chang.

And he thinks that just maybe, she loves him back.

They've been talking more lately, and he's found that she's a really cool chick. She's artsy, and passionate, and funny, and dedicated, and determined, and independent; he really respects all that about her. And even though she looks like she's just another walking teenage cliché of rebellion and being misunderstood, he knows that she's not. (Well, maybe a little understood, but certainly not the former.) There's something so honest and unique and _raw_ about the way she chooses to present herself to the world, and he admires the way she walks the hallways as though she isn't wary of what people might think of her for simply choosing to be who she is.

He doesn't know what the hell Artie did to lose her over the summer, but he thinks the dude's an idiot for letting Tina slip through his fingers like that. (Not that she's, like, some possession, or anything; wow, that came out wrong. He just doesn't understand why the dude didn't fight harder for her, because _damn_, she's totally worth it, and he can't believe the guy doesn't see it.)

He doesn't know exactly where this thing is going between them (or even what this _thing_ is, really). But he knows that he loves spending time with her, and he's not letting her go if he can help it, ever. And maybe it won't go the way he's planning it to go, but he's lucky just to have her in his life, he thinks. So lucky that Abrams slipped up and wasn't smart enough to see a good thing until it was gone.

Because thanks to whatever it was that has Tina steadfastly ignoring her crippled (now ex-) best friend, Mike finally has his shot. And he's going to do his damnedest to not let her get away from _him_, too.

_-0-0-_

_Please review and let me know what you thought! Love it, hate it?_


	84. Maybe, The Right Way

_A/N: SappsterGleek - You're very welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it._

_This one's for DCoD! Turned out longer than I thought (: which is always a plus. I really hope you enjoy it!_

_AAAAHHHHH! GLEE, SEASON TWO, IN 4 DAYS! SO EFFING EXCITED!_

_-0-0-_

Maybe she's supposed to still like Finn. The way everyone's acting, especially him, would certainly lead her to believe so. As if now that it's a new school year, and she's gotten her pre-pregnancy form back, everything can go back to the way it was; as if she's ever going to forget those nine months she spent carrying another human being inside of her and how she felt afterwards.

It's not like she can just erase last year and jump right back in to being the HBIC as if she was never gone; (never unceremoniously banished from the position) She's surprised that anyone's treating her like she can; she'd assumed that most people wouldn't even be _close_ to willing to let her back into power, but it's almost like some of them are actually trying to usher her back up onto the throne. Like she can forget Beth and be the same person she was before; yeah right. And she's not even sure she wants to. Because it was all a mistake when it comes down to it, but people aren't supposed to brush over their mistakes and forget them; they're supposed to own up to them, accept them, and learn from them.

And she _has_ learned. She's learned that it's beyond dumb to give up your virginity and abandon your morals because you mistakenly 'felt fat that day'. She's learned that the social hierarchy is so much crueler than she ever imagined it to be. And she's learned that sometimes good things come out of horribly-timed, disastrous circumstances. She's not just thinking of her baby girl, either, even though Beth's a big part of it.

As she looks up from her locker where's she grabbing her books for third period and Santana's yapping her ear off about Christina-something's new boob job as she rapidly texts any number of people, Quinn catches a pair of hazel eyes looking her way and she can't help the immediate smile that adorns itself on her face.

Because he's the other good thing that came out of the pregnancy-fiasco; and wow, she never thought she'd say that about _Puck_ of all people, but it's true. She's learned so much about him (learned that everything she thought she knew about him was wrong), and can't even imagine having gotten through the whole mess without him. (Granted, she wouldn't have been in the mess at all without him …)

And he's the reason that she can't just go back to liking Finn the way she used to. (She cares about him, yes, but she doesn't think it's the right way anymore like it used to be.) Because she might not be sure if Puck meant that he's actually _in_ love with her when he told her at the hospital or if he meant that he loves her because she's the mother of his kid and that's it, even though it was so long ago … but she thinks that she's in love with him, the right way. And looking into his eyes like right now, seeing him smile that smile she can't recall ever seeing him smile pre-Beth, she thinks that just maybe he loves her the right way, too.

(Maybe …)

But even if he doesn't, she thinks – no, she _knows_ – that she'd rather chance it all on him and that slim chance that he feels the same way than go back to the safe bet and be with Finn.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	85. Kicks

_A/N: Randomness, lol. Featuring Preggo!Rachel and the wonderful pairing of Cherry; because they're just too cute! Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

"Come on, baby," Mike murmured, whispering to her swollen abdomen and desperately moving his hand across it in an attempt to rouse the little girl inside. "Please, move for daddy."

Nothing.

He sighed, sitting back up and kissing Rachel's forehead as she giggled at him. He glared gently. "I'm the only one who hasn't felt her," he complained, pouting a little bit. "Everyone else has, and she _always_ kicks for Matt."

"You're exaggerating," she told him, grabbing either side of his face and pulling his lips down to meet hers. Pulling back after a moment, she said, "It's only a matter of time before you feel her, she moves _all_ the time." _All night, every night_, she thought tiredly, the slight bags under her eyes giving testimony to that fact.

"Exactly," Mike said, resting a hand on her baby bump and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Maybe she … What if she doesn't like me?" he asked earnestly, genuine fear written all over his face. He was ecstatic for her upcoming birth, but terrified at the same time … this is what they wanted, and they're financially prepared to bring her into the world, and she'll have a loving family (both by blood, and not) but he can't help the clenching in gut and the fear that he'll be a terrible dad or that their kid will hate him.

"Not possible," Rachel said with firm conviction, tightening her grip on his arm and leaning her head on his shoulder. "You're going to be amazing with her, Mike. And she's going to love you as much as I do; as much as you love her already."

Just then, he felt a slight pressure on his palm and looked down at her abdomen in shock confirming his wife's words.

Rachel just smiled brightly at him as she realized that he had felt the kick, saying, "See, she agrees with me."

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	86. Starting Anew Or Not

_A/N: Kind of depressing. And sorry, it's been a while._

_I'd write more, but I'm in a rush to get downstairs for 8 because I don't want to miss a thing! Hope you enjoy, and happy Glee watching everyone! Hooray for the premiere!_

_-0-0-_

A new school year ... Anything can happen, right?

That's what they're all hoping for, really. Maybe they won't admit it, but deep down they're all just looking for a fresh start; to get a clean slate after the events of the year previous. Maybe they don't deserve them; maybe they do and won't get it regardless. (But then again, who really knows?)

They can all hope, though. They can all wish that things will be different. That this year things will have changed; for the better, that is. All they _can_ do is hope. Because deep down, each of them knows that everything's going to be the same. Just because they've changed doesn't mean the rest of McKinley (or hell, the rest of the town, even) has changed as well.

They're still going to be ridiculed and looked down upon. Rachel will probably still get slushies to the face, even if she's dating the quarterback. There will still probably be whispers about Quinn and her baby behind her back (yet still within hearing range) in the hallways, even if she makes it back on the Cheerios – and by extension, back on top of the school – like she's planning to. Kurt will probably never be embraced by the whole of the student body, because he's different in a way that Ohio just isn't ready to accept.

They're still the same people on the outside, and the social expectations won't have changed.

But for these few precious moments before they have to face reality … at least they can pretend.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	87. An Honest Admission

_A/N: Wow. Tonight's premiere was really amazing, no doubt. so much to write, so little time; because it's getting late where I am and I have school tomorrow (;. Afraid this is it for tonight. But on the plus side, it's fairly long! Yay!_

_I really liked Sunshine's character, it was refreshing and pretty cool. And man, can Charice sing! I also liked Sam, but he's less important to me right now. What I didn't like was Rachel's character. I liked her more towards the end, but in the beginning she was just so much more unbearable than she was by the end of last season. In a way I wonder about the way they've gone back to her being territorial and self-absorbed, the same way I didn't like it with Puck at the beginning of the back nine. But oh well, I can't change the way it's been acted and written._

_That's why I wrote this! A little tag to the whole Sunshine vs. Rachel thing going on, just my way of balancing out Rachel. Not like I'm dropping all the things that make her Rachel Berry, I'm just making them less over-the-top ad ridiculous and a little more understandable. Anyways, long rant, sorry._

_[P.S. Posted a oneshot earlier entitled 'the pursuit of stardom'. Yeah, yeah, shameless plug. I'd appreciate it if you'd check it out. It's Finn/Rachel which, I know, is weird for me, but it's really angsty so I balanced it out that way.]_

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

So maybe she goes out of her way to run into her. (Not literally _run into_ her, of course; just to happen across her and strike up a much needed conversation.) She figures it's the least she can do, considering she sent the poor girl to a crack house where they stole her sheet music and used it as toilet paper. It's not stalking; and honestly, it's not like this is a conversation she wants to be having. She's prideful, she knows, and this is kind of painful on so many levels for her.

But she swallows past the metaphorical broken glass in her throat, and gets straight down to it.

"I'm sorry, okay? It was wrong of me, and I shouldn't have done it … and I promise that if you'll only come back to New Directions, I won't do anything to make your life a living Hell."

The apology is hard, sure … but what really stings is practically begging her to come back. (And it's not that she doesn't want to share some of her solos; not _just_ that, at least … seriously.)

"Thanks, Rachel," Sunshine says, smiling, "but, I don't know. I accept your apology, it's just … it doesn't seem like you really want me there. And I wouldn't want to impose; it's your club, you were there first. I can respect that you're uncomfortable with me coming in on that. And if that's so, which I highly believe it is, I think it might be best for me to stay with Vocal Adrenaline."

Sigh. "Sunshine, really, I …" She wants to say that she'd love to have her in New Directions … and it's not like she couldn't say it convincingly; (she _has_ been in various acting lessons since she was merely toddling around and getting her bearings of the world). But it wouldn't be honest. And for some reason the lie gets caught in her throat and she ends up spewing out the agonizing truth instead.

"You're right. I don't want you there. But it's not because you're not a phenomenal singer, and it's not because I don't want to share the spotlight." Not _just_ that. "I just … You see …" Another sigh. "Everyone in Glee hates me." There, that's honest, at least. Almost too honest, actually, to be saying to a girl she barely knows … but that's beside the point. "I'm abrasive and conceited and sometimes unintentionally rude. I have a penchant for saying the wrong things, all the time, and no one seems to appreciate it in the slightest when I critique their performances in an effort to better the group. But the thing is – they'd probably hate me even if I was sweet, and quiet, with an easygoing disposition; because I'm nothing more than that girl they love to hate. The reason I don't want you in the group is because if they have you, they don't need me. With you and Sam both, they'll have 12 members; enough to compete. And they've really only been putting up with me for this long because they needed my voice and my person to compete and have a shot at winning. With you in the equation, I'm toast.

There's the truth for her. Rachel doesn't know quite what possessed her to tell Sunshine all of this. And she doesn't particularly know where they go from here either.

All she knows is that what she said is the truth. They'll mostly likely take the opportunity to ditch her in a heartbeat; she won't have the protection of being needed. She'll just be extra; surplus. But she has to do this anyways. She has to try and get Sunshine back, because if she doesn't they'll all just hate her that much more.

She's stuck between a rock and a hard place here, because either way she's totally screwed.

_-0-0-_

_Please review, it would mean the world!_


	88. Something About Him

_A/N: Yeah, I know :( I've been terrible with updates. Trying to fix that, I swear._

_Kay, so ... Artie and Tina are adorable, and him trying to join the football team to get her back? Amazing, no doubt. Loved it. (Even though I think he's a little dumb for ignoring her in favor of halo. Seriously, Artie, not cool (;.) But something about seeing Tina and Mike together (and seeing his abs, HOLY!) made me all warm and fuzzy inside and I kind of love them now as well, lol._

_So here is a little something from Tina's point of view. I really hope you enjoy it!_

_-0-0-_

It's not like she meant it to happen, exactly. She's always cared about Artie, and she always will. But it was summer, and she was stuck trying to teach those bratty kids about the arts, and Artie wasn't returning her texts. What was she supposed to do, exactly? Ignore Mike's totally amazing and awe-worthy abs? (As if that were even possible.)

No. She wasn't going to try and pretend the feelings arising in her gut weren't there; not with a neglectful boyfriend busy with whatever it was that was so much more important than her, and a wonderful guy around her all day who she couldn't help falling for. She's worth more than that, and she knows it. Not like she jumped him at the first available opportunity, anyways.

She lasted at least a day or two, thank you very much. (God, his abs …)

His lips are kind of amazing, she thinks. Soft and worm and perfect against hers. And she doesn't even understand it most of the time, but when he's around she just feels better; more confident, a little less shy … a lot more at home in her own body, at the very least. It's a good feeling, she's decided. To not be constantly afraid of the people and the world around her, to feel like maybe she belongs in it instead of being some freak of nature.

So screw Artie for now; because maybe he'll look back one day and realized that he messed up a good thing and let a good _girl_ go … but she has Mike now, and he's sweet, and he's caring, and he doesn't ignore her for months.

And she's so, so happy right now.

She hopes to God (even though she's never been religious) that it stays that way. (Not really likely, but she can dream.)

_-0-0-_

_Please review._


	89. Being An Idiot

_A/N: Yeah, I like Mike and Tina together now, but that doesn't mean I don't still love Artie and feel bad for him (despite his douchetastic move over the summer). So this one's all for him, from his point of view on the whole matter._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You know you're an idiot.

Really, there's no other explanation for it. Now that you're back at school (and forced to watch the two of them together from what is evidently not nearly far enough away) it's so easy to see that choosing a Halo marathon over Tina was stupid as all hell. But at the time, nothing inside of you had really made the connection that by choosing one, you were neglecting the other. So you gamed away, unaware of the ramifications that would be waiting for you (and staring you in the face) when September came around.

Thing is, you want to fix it. You don't know how or if you have any chance of success, but there's no way you can just _not_ try. Literally, it's killing you inside and you're not going down without a fight. (Mike Change, watch out, because here comes Artie Abrams!)

Maybe it's dumb to even try for football … and maybe being a human battering ram on the field is actually a terrible, unrealistic (not to mention dangerous) idea, and you're acting a lot less smart than you usually are when you suggest it … but damn, it's really the only thing you can think of.

As Coach Beiste's words take full effect on you (and the part about Finn being kicked off the team manage to pass right on over your head), your heart sinks and you start to feel hopeless on the inside. As if this was it; your only chance … and it's gone.

Because in all actuality, what chance do you have up against Mike Chang?

_-0-0-_

_Please, pretty please with a cherry on top, review!_


	90. Fear Of The Fire

_A/N: Just realized that I've totally forgotten about Wemma in the last couple of months, lol. I felt bad, so I wrote this!_

_P.S. Can't wait to see John Stamos on the show! Was just watching an episode of Full House today, and I couldn't get over the fact that Uncle Jesse will be on Glee, lol ... I'm all giddy (:._

_I hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

You see him in the hallways, in the teachers' lounge … through the clear glass walls of your office, sometimes. (Often, actually; much more than you're comfortable with, at least.) Sometimes he'll shoot you a small smile in an attempt to be friendly; sometimes you'll shoot him one back. Other times he'll just keep on walking, and you might be a little bit unintentionally offended by that fact if you didn't suspect that it's just because looking at you hurts too much. (You know that looking at him hurts too much; but it's a kind of pain you relish in, the kind of pain you can't seem to get enough of … and you torture yourself often.)

You know there's an easy solution to all of this. Break up with Carl, talk to Will … and bam, you could be with the guy that you want, the guy that you think you just may love.

But you can't do that. You want to, but you can't. Because Carl's kind, and he's funny, and he'd be totally perfect if he wasn't all wrong (and he wouldn't be all wrong if a certain someone else wasn't so right). Because he's the safe option here; he's the one who kisses you sweetly and tenderly and sparingly, and doesn't set your insides on fire.

You don't trust the fire that you feel with Will. Because it's unknown, and volatile … and if you're with someone who doesn't make you feel the feelings that make your head spin and your heart pound, you can't get hurt, right? You can't be broken by the loss of something that you've always been able to live without.

It's the one you can't live without that you refuse to live _with_. Because those feelings mean a level of power that you aren't ready for; that you're terribly afraid of. And you're terribly afraid that if you open up and let him in, he'll hurt you. (You know that he'd never do so purposefully … but just thinking about that Corcoran slut – pardon your language – makes you so unsure and doubtful. You hate feeling doubtful towards him, because he's such a wonderful person, so kind and amazing and passionate; but you can't help it.)

And you can't help that you can't work up the courage to give up your safety net and jump into waters unknown. So here you're stuck, on your small little life raft, determinedly sitting atop it with no intention of moving, as much as you long to.

And here you'll stay until you can work up the nerve and the courage to jump ship and swim back to him.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	91. Too Far, Never Again

_A/N: This was written because the whole Brittany-Beiste thing was going too far, IMO, even for Sue. And because I could totally imagine San getting pissed about it if she found out._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Honestly, Santana isn't really listening as Brittany tells her all about her day. They're together most of the time anyways, and she doesn't feel like she needs a recap of everything from Brittany's often skewed (though sometimes hilarious) point of view. She's more focused on the latest issue of _Seventeen_ in her hands and Brittany's head in her lap as the blonde reads _Rolling Stone_ (or rather, looks at the pictures and makes up her own stories about the people in them).

But just as she's reading about the latest make-up tips, a couple of the words flowing out of Brittany's mouth catch her attention and leave her confused and with a strong feeling in her gut telling her that she should be totally pissed right now (even if she doesn't exactly know why yet).

"Hold up; Sylvester made you do _what_?"

Her blood boils as Brittany nonchalantly tells her what their coach had her do. "But then Mr. Schue came in and told me that lying is bad and this lie was one of the worst, and my stomach started feeling bad so I told him the truth," she says, shrugging and looking back down at _Rolling Stone_.

"That's good, B," Santana tells her gently, trying to keep her rage under control. She doesn't want her friend to think that she's angry with her, after all. "You should never lie about that, okay?"

Yeah, she's a liar herself. Kind of comes with the territory of being a bitch, and a Cheerio. (Formerly _head_ Cheerio, before she lost her shit and made what might turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life by getting a boob job; and yeah, she's _totally_ bitter about that.) But even she knows that that shit is serious business and no joke whatsoever.

What's more, she's going to be having some words with Sylvester. Chick (if she's even a chick; sometimes Santana has her doubts, what with all the testosterone she seems to ooze) is batshit crazy – crazier than Berry even, and that girl's fucking mental – but she apparently needs it put through her head that she isn't to involve Brittany in those kinds of schemes of hers; not the ones where Santana isn't around to protect her from doing something stupid.

Because manipulating Brittany is like manipulating a small, innocent child who doesn't know any better, and there's no way in hell that she's going to let anyone take advantage of her like that; never again, no way.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	92. Whatever

_A/N: So sorry! I feel awful for the wait. School and life and awesome fanfiction just begging to be read has kept me from writing recently, and for that I apologize. Here's some Santana though, with a sprinkling of Matt (still can't believe he's gone, *sob*), and I hope that makes up for it. If it doesnt, well ... sorry again._

_[On the topic of awesome fanfiction just begging to be read, one story caught my attention early Sunday morning and had my attention - and me on the edge of my seat, HOLY CRAP! - for the entire day. It's over on LJ by knkykty - whose FF . net penname is _KittyGoddess415_ but it's only posted on LJ, not on this site - and it's intense. I think you should totally check it out here:_

_knkyktylivejournal(dot)come(slash)11904(dot)html_

_It's a Puckleberry fic, and it's called 'The Games They Play'._

_Warning, though. It's NC-17, and I mean _seriously_ NC-17. Smut galore, mature themes, swearing, the whole bit. And it basically - well not _basically_, it DOES revolve around a submissive/dominance sexual relationship, so if that bothers you don't read. It's really intense and seriously hot; it was written for a glee kink meme, and is _very_ kinky all around. I think you should totally read it, though, if that doesn't bother you, because it's phenomenally written and absolutely fantastic.]_

_Done with the plug now, and on with the drabble! Sorry for the super long A/N, but I just really needed to share the story._

_This is set during 'Journey'. Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

_Whatever_, Santana thinks, crossing her arms over her chest as she settles down into the waiting room for what couple be hours of labor.

_It's not like I was her friend first, or anything; it's not like we've been fucking BFFs (her, me, and Brittany) since fucking preschool. What does it matter if she wants some fucking _Gleek_ in with her while she pushes a kid out through her vag; some chick whose been her friend for all of ten fucking minutes, I mean, really!_

She sighs angrily, blinking furiously. She refuses to let this affect her. Q can do whatever the hell she wants, see if she cares; and there's no fucking way she's going to cry right now. She doesn't get all emotional and shit over dumb ass stuff like this. Really, it doesn't matter if Quinn's replacing her. She's the head bitch in charge now, she can take it; it's not like she has feelings. Feelings are weakness, and if there's one thing that Santana's not, it's weak.

"Hey, you okay?"

_No. _"Why the hell wouldn't I be?" she snaps at Matt, not bothering to look up from her shoes. She's not going to fucking cry, she's _not_. (_Fuck_, if only it were that easy.) Her breath hitches and she stands suddenly, mumbling an excuse that no one's really listening to or caring about, and making a break for it. If she's going to get all emotional, there's no way she's going to do it in front of those losers. She's done more than enough to most of them to warrant some kind of vindictive retaliation and – even though she's pretty sure they're not dumb enough to try anything on her, because that would be a fucking death wish – she's not going to give them any ammunition.

_Please don't follow me, please don't follow me, please don't follow me …_

"Stop bullshitting me, San; I'm not an idiot."

_Double fuck._ "Seriously, Matt, I'm _fine_. I just want to be alone right now." And no, her voice is not breaking, thank you very much. Her throat's just dry after all their singing at Regionals. Seriously, that's all.

But he's right, and he's not an idiot, and he can see that something inside of her is close to breaking. And yeah, he's not really sure about how he should go about trying to fix it (or if he even should) but that doesn't mean he's not going to try.

So he just places a hand on her shoulder, gently. She tenses, and he knows that she isn't comfortable with this kind of thing; being comforted, that is. Because in order to be comforted, one has to be vulnerable, and that shit just doesn't fly with Santana Lopez. But he doesn't let go; instead he pulls her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her and pretending that he can't feel her body shuddering every time she inhales.

And no, she's still not fucking crying. She's just … got something in her eye. And something caught in her throat. Shut up.

She tries to tell herself that there's nothing wrong with this. That as long as it's done in private, away from prying eyes, it doesn't make her any less threatening or dangerous. She's still a crazy fucking force to be reckoned with. It doesn't mean she's weak … (She's not so sure she believes herself yet, but hopefully she will eventually if she just keeps thinking it.)

And yeah, it's not like she even cares. She still doesn't give a shit if Q's chosen Aretha to be with her as she finally rids herself of Puckerman's spawn. The former-queen-bee can do what she wants, it's of no consequence of Santana; seriously, whatever.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	93. That Kind Of Revenge

It's dark outside, the sky sparkling with small specks of light coming from thousands of light years away. The full moon's glowing, giving them just enough light to make out the position of the dashboard, the steering wheel, and each other.

Her lips are on his as she grabs hold of the back of his neck, kissing him insistently and passionately. His hands find her hips on instinct alone as he kisses her back, flipping them on the seat of the cab of his truck with skill do that he's above her.

Somewhere in his head, though, there's a voice just trying to break through to the forefront of his mind. He's the one to pull away once it does. "Rach," he rasps out as she whimpers lowly at the loss of contact. "You- we …" _well _fuck_, he can't even form a fucking sentence. And God, this is so fucking wrong. He's not doing this again, not with his best friend's girl. He learned his lesson the first fucking time._

"Noah," she breathes, pulling him back down to her and capturing his lips with hers again. _Because damn it, she needs this right now; more badly than she's willing to admit. _"Finn cheated on me," she gets out when he's pulled away again, with much effort; the words hang in the air, and she can feel her breath catching in her throat as she chokes out, "with Quinn." _Really, who the hell else could it be? _"And I just … _please_, Noah, I need to …"

But really, that's all he needs to hear. Maybe this is fucked up, him being so okay with being the rebound; being so okay with 'taking advantage' of a chick in 'emotional distress'. But he knows her better than that, and the look in her eyes tells him that this is more than her hurting. This is her getting revenge.

And _that_'s a fucking sentiment he can relate to, in so many ways. He's been feeling a little bitter with his once-upon-a-time best bro, too. It's been obvious for the last couple months that Finn's been cozying back up to Quinn. And Puck isn't jealous, or anything – that shipped sailed as soon as Shelby walked away with _his_ baby girl in her arms to happily ever after – but he's a little fucking bitter, alright? Because dude can forgive Quinn, but not him … and that shit's just not kosher.

So he lowers himself down again, savoring the taste of her lips. Because face it, he's the king of revenge; especially _this_ kind.


	94. Being Not So Over Him

_A/N: Rushed to get the last one up before I had to go. Only just saw the episode, didn't get to watch it in real time, unfortunately, but WOW! Won't get into that now, though, because it's really late and I should have been asleep hours ago._

_This was written because I think Quinn felt more than she let on. And I swear her voice almost cracked at the end of her line._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

_There, I said what you wanted me to say. Congratulations, he's obviously in love with you._

You walk swiftly away from her, your Cheerios skirt swishing back and forth across the tops of your thighs. You have your game face on, set to ice cold determination. Because there's nothing wrong; there _isn't_. Only … maybe you feel a hollow, sinking feeling in the bottom of your gut, and just maybe you're holding back tears.

But no biggie, or anything; not like it's that important. And it's not even like it hurts that much, seriously … come on, what do you care if Finn's so obviously moved on (to _Rachel Berry_, of all _things_). You have too, you don't need him. (Except maybe you haven't, and maybe you do.)

But it doesn't even matter, because you're on top of the school again. You're captain once more, up where you rightfully belong (on top of the pyramid and the hierarchy). You don't really need the homecoming queen title, too. _As nice as that would be_ … But no, it's not a necessity.

And neither is Finn. You're perfectly fine without him. You have been all summer, really. It's not like you've been moping (in between a serious diet and exercise regime) around, missing him. You're not pathetic, and you're perfectly capable of functioning on your own. You don't need a man by your side; especially not him.

Why are you so disappointed, then, though? Why are you so upset? Why did you wish so hard that he'd agree, tell you that he still loves you, and take you up on your (admittedly fake, yet earnest) proposal to once again be a couple? (Why were you so excited at the very prospect, for reasons other than – _just_ – getting one more thing over on Berry?)

It doesn't even matter. You don't care, and it doesn't make a difference. He's in love with her; they're all freaking lovey-dovey, _you make me the happiest I've ever been_, head over heels; the whole bit. (Everything the two of you used to be.) He's over you, and you're over him.

(Ugh, _be_ over him, dammit!)

You can do it; you know you can.

_Maybe_ …

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	95. His Only One

_A/N: Yeah, even I'm not sure what message I'm trying to get across with this one. But it's late and I've been terrible with updates and ... yeah. Sorry._

_This is Rachel's POV, and is pretty much about her and Finn in Brittany/Britney (or Britney/Brittany, I'm not sure which one's supposed to come first)._

_Hope you enjoy, and it's not too muddled!_

_-0-0-_

She wants everything too much …

But is it really so bad to want things?

To want somebody to appreciate her for who she is; to want one day where she doesn't have to look over her shoulder in anticipation of oncoming slushies; to want people to like her instead of only just barely tolerating her presence and existence; to want to not have to feel threatened every time another (prettier, more popular, less abrasive) girl looks at her boyfriend.

She wants to not have to worry for once. And yeah, it's selfish, but the first time Finn kissed her he was in a relationship with someone else; that kind of history doesn't exactly lead to a healthy, stable relationship. It leads to fear, and jealousy, and uncertainty … and plays on one characteristic she's had since before she met him: insecurity.

She wants to be able to trust that we won't realize there are better options out there than her. She wants to be okay with him being on the football team. (_Really_ okay, not just faking okay for his sake like she has been ever since she told him that little while lie: that's she _is_ okay with it, even though she's kind of totally _not_ on the inside.)

She wants to be the only one; his only one. She wants to be _sure_ that she's his only one.

And maybe she wants it a little too much.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	96. No Air

_A/N: Puck!Angst, kind of Whump!Puck ... just because I can't resist, and it just came to me right after I posted the last one._

_Set after last season for sure, but no exact time ..._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

Sometimes he feels like he's choking.

Like when he sees a little kid at the supermarket, clinging to their mom or dad … His throat will start closing up on him and it's like he can't breathe. Sometimes he can calm himself down right away, and other times he has to get the hell out of there and ride it out and hope that he'll start breathing again in time. He always does, so it's just like whatever; not important, right?

(He knew it was going to be hard, but he never knew it was going to be this hard.

He didn't know that everything would be a reminder. Of her; of Quinn; of how he'll never be there for his little girl the way he's supposed to be; of what he's missing out on. He didn't know that his whole fucking world would be upside down still; didn't know that just seeing a little girl with blonde hair would make his heart stop beating and his chest constrict.)

He doesn't tell anyone. Because even if he was the kind of pussy that talked about his feelings with people instead of the badass mother-fucker he is, who the hell would he tell it to? Quinn's back to not talking to him now that she's a Cheerio again, Finn and Rachel are both wrapped up in their dysfunctional relationship issues, his mom would probably try to send him to a fucking _shrink_ (which he totally doesn't fucking need) …

So he doesn't tell anyone. He just keeps it to himself. Because it's totally fine, really. It never lasts, or anything. He always gets himself breathing again. It's not like it's even really a problem.

It's totally fine … _He_'s totally fine.

(Except, maybe he's kind of not so sure about that last part.)

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	97. Don't Get Hurt, Please

_A/N: Wow, and they just keep on rolling. I'm surprised myself, to be perfectly honest ... but happy too (:._

_This one's from Tina's POV. Tike!ship and Tartie!lingering-feelings/friendship, as well. Written because _seriously_, Artie on the football team? Am I the only one smelling disaster here? Seriously :(. And because Tina must have some reaction to it all, after she's found out._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

She's in love with Mike now, she is. (He's sweet, and amazing, and funny, and talented; and did she mention totally amazing?) They're a really good fit, surprisingly, and he makes her feel all warm and light and happy inside.

But Artie was her friend for a really long time (a _really_ long time), and it's not like she's totally indifferent to him right now (regardless of the summer Halo marathon that was more important than her). She still cares for him in a friendly way, and maybe even a little more than that still.

And right now there's this really bad feeling in her gut.

Seriously, what are he and Finn and Coach Beiste thinking? He's in a wheelchair, for goodness sake! And she's not being discriminatory or anything; it's just the cold hard truth. She doesn't think any less of him for the chair; it's basically just an extension of him to her at this point, a part of who he is. And there are just some things that people who can't walk and are in wheelchairs can't do. Like play football!

So her minds a little preoccupied – as in completely taken over – by worry as she kisses Mike good luck for the team's first game of the season. He can sense that she's anxious, though, and he knows why. So he just kisses her forehead and wraps her in a hug, whispering, "It's all going to be alright, I promise," in her ear before letting go.

She desperately wants to believe him, so she shoots him a grateful smile and one last kiss. But as she takes a seat on the bleachers beside Mercedes and Kurt and Rachel, her heart's still pounding and she's still so worried.

_Artie, you idiot, what the _Hell _are you doing_, she thinks as she watches him wheel out onto the field with the rest of them. _God, you better not get hurt, or I swear …_

She gulps, blinking back tears. _Just don't get hurt; _please_._

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	98. Overrated

_A/N: I'm a little disappointed that I've yet to get any reviews for the three drabbles I posted last night :( ... but decided to go ahead and keep posting anyways because I had such an awful updating period all last week._

_As you can see, we're coming on a hundred, which means that this collection is coming to an end. But I've been planning on starting #3 up right away without the hiatus I had last time ... anyone up for that ;)?_

_Please, please leave a review, it means the world!_

_This is just a short ramble in first person from Rachel's point of view about her and Jesse. Been thinking about Romeo & Juliet lately, and this is what became of it. Sorry, it's REALLY SHORT._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_-0-0-_

I saw the two of us as a sort of modern-day Romeo and Juliet from the very beginning.

Rival Glee clubs, new love, obstacles we'd need to overcome ... I can't deny that for a dramatic, theatrical girl like me, the whole idea was very alluring. Every girl dreams of finding her Romeo, right? And there he was, right in front of me … Could I really be expected to pass that up?

Thinking back, I should have known that it was bound to end tragically. I mean, Romeo and Juliet each commit suicide in the end; not exactly a fairytale, despite what it's been made out to be. (Sure, the families go all _happily ever after_ through their grief, but the 'star-crossed lovers' end up _dead_.)

I should have known …

But I didn't. I let myself get wrapped up in a fantasy and fall in love with the boy I thought he was instead of seeing him for who really is. I fell into his web of lies willingly, head first (over heels). I let my heart get broken; I let him rip it out of my chest and stomp on it over and over again.

Maybe I didn't end up six feet under … but I feel like a part of me did. Like a part of me's out there somewhere, dead, buried in a graveyard; all thanks to him.

(Romeo's overrated anyway.)

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	99. Got That Thang

_A/M: Just realized that I've been seriously lacking the Mercedes love, and I felt bad ... so I wrote this (:. Short again, but hopefully still good. Hoping to post a special 100 (don't know what yet, though, lol - oops!) tomorrow after my science report and start the 3rd set before Tuesday's episode. Tall order, but I think that I can fill it!_

_Hope you enjoy! [And any ideas for the 100th? Cuz I've got nothing (;.]_

_-0-0-_

You're always in the background, aren't you?

You speak out and you speak up and you try to push your way to the forefront, but it's never good enough, is it? You're still not as important; you're still stuck behind everyone else. You do what you have to, though. You sway in the background the majority of the time, waltzing to the forefront for a few choice notes every song that no one else can hit the way you do.

That's what keeps you going; knowing that you have that much in your favor, at least. That unique touch you can give to music that no else in the group can claim; Rachel can belt it like Barbara and Idina and anyone else in that business, Quinn kills the Holy and angelic bit, and Tina's voice is sweet and smooth for the softies … but you've got the Beyoncé-Jennifer-Aretha _thang_, and none of them can boast that.

You're going to make it one day. Whether it's in the form of a solo album, or a fashion line with Kurt, you've got it made. You're too strong, determined, and independent not to.

So you can kick it in the background for now; (it's probably more fun – and more drama-less – anyways). Because you know that it won't always be this way.

_-0-0-_

_Please review!_


	100. So Wrong, And Yet So Right aka The End

_A/N: Well, guys, this is it! The second installment, completed! I'm so excited, I can't even explain it. If all goes as planned, the 3rd will start up tomorrow :); and I hope everyone who has read and enjoyed this will come along with me as I continue this journey! Your support through this all, even when I couldn't find the will to keep updating, has been my saving grace. You all seriously rock!_

_Special shout-out to gleek06216, Artie(dot)Tina(dot)Gleek, and stardust923, who have continuously and regularly reviewed. Thank you guys, people like you totally make writing worth it! Your supportive and kind words have meant nothing short of the world to me!_

_Thank you to everyone who has read._

_..._

_Wow, I know it's the hundredth (technically two hundredth), but even I'm amazed by how much of a monster this one turned out to be. I cracked 2,500 words, and I couldn't be happier! To be fair, though, it's more of a collection in and of itself than a straight out drabble ... but I hope you enjoy it anyways._

_Essentially, it's a 6 person POV about Puckleberry when it happens again! (Haha, it was the most special thing I could think of, and I hope I did it justice.) It switches 2nd person POV a bunch of times, but I made it as clear as I could who the section was from whom.)_

_I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I loved writing it!_

_Again, thanks so much! And be on the lookout for Drabbles A La Glee 3 :)!_

_-0-0-_

**Santana**

You've never had any right to stake a claim in him, and you know it. He's never been yours to keep.

Hell, you've pushed him away enough times; first into Blondie's arms, who's now pushed him into Miss Crazy Pants'. You told him, in no uncertain terms, that the two of you were not going to work out … because of his crappy credit score.

And it's not as if you miss him, or as if you _like_-like him or whatever (or ever did). He's just a fucking amazing lay, and it might suck a little not having him as an option for rainy Sunday afternoons any more. But there were never any feelings involved with the two of you (just a beneficial mutual agreement), and it's not like you're in pain without him around. You've got Brittany, your best friend (and maybe something more), and you're happy.

It's just that watching the two of them makes you nauseous. Like seriously, if you don't turn away right now you might barf; legit. She's so preppy and fashion-challenged and … _Berry_. You never thought that the Puckerone would stoop so low; even in the post-Quinn-pregnancy state.

But they actually look kind of … _happy_. And that's wrong on so many levels, because she's _her_ and he's _him_ … but the more you think about it, the more they kind of work. Gross, but it's true. She's uptight and bat-shit crazy, and he's a jackass delinquent … but put the two together, and she loosens up and he takes things seriously (and, you know, is less of a total douche bag).

Huh … you can't believe you're thinking it, but maybe Puckleberry just started making sense after all.

Still nauseating, no doubt; but almost understandable.

-0-0-

**Tina**

You don't really get it.

First of all, you're too wrapped up in your relationship with Mike, and worry about Artie being on the football team. Second of all, you have a massive Science test coming up and you've been absorbed in studying for that. And thirdly, you honestly don't pay them much attention outside of Glee. They've got their lives, and you've got your life, and you've always been different from Mercedes and Kurt in the sense that you're mostly perfectly content to let other people live their lives the way they see fit.

They want to try a romance 2.0? Good for them; have at it.

Doesn't mean you're oblivious, though; and it doesn't mean you're not kind of baffled by the whole thing, as well healthily curious.

Because seriously, they say opposites attract … but not mortal enemies. This makes about as much sense to you this time as it did the first time around; which, in Laymen's terms, is next to nothing.

But just like the last time, you can't deny that they make a pretty cute couple. And ever since they hooked up again Rachel's been acting a lot less … _Rachel_. She actually offered up her solo to you last week, and you're definitely not complaining about _that_. And Puck _showed up_ to Math class yesterday … Math class! You didn't even know he was _in_ your Math class, because he's never been. But he waltzed in like he'd done it a million times, sat down, and seemingly paid attention to almost the whole lesson. Talk about nothing short of a miracle.

You're not going to interfere, and you probably won't waste any time giving it much more thought, but even you can see that whatever they've got going on seems to be working.

-0-0-

**Will**

You try not to get too involved in your students' lives. (Not saying you've succeeded up to this point, but you make the effort … most of the time.) You know that there reaches a certain point where it's none of your business.

Drugs found in a kids' locker; that's in your boundaries … a student skipping class and failing Spanish; that's in your boundaries … someone having a fit in Glee rehearsal for personal reasons that need to be resolved; that's still mostly in your boundaries. You're a teacher, and you're supposed to do everything you can to keep these kids on paths that won't lead them off of cliffs or into dead ends; but their personal relationships? Those are _so_ not in your boundaries.

You didn't say anything to them about it back at the beginning of last year when they had that little week-or-so long escapade, and you're not going to say anything now. Because as long as it's not an abusive or similarly damaging relationship, there's no logical reason for you to _try_ to step in.

And from the looks of things thus far, this might actually be a godsend.

Rachel – while still focused and driven as far as Glee and everything else is concerned – is backing off nicely and being more of a team player, and Puck's Spanish grade has started to sky rocket in only two weeks. (Showing up definitely helps … but he practically aced the last quiz on his own.) You'd like to say that you've always known that he's had the potential deep down underneath; that you've never doubted him … but sadly, the recent turn of events in his case totally blindsided you (in a good way). (Let's just say that you won't underestimate him ever again the way you did.)

You can't say that you ever saw the two of them as a match before (not one that would ever work out); but something about the look in Puck's eyes lately has you convinced that this has the potential to be much more than some high school fling. The look in Puck's eyes says _love_ (even if he probably doesn't comprehend that yet himself) … and he's never seen a smile on Rachel's face look so genuine instead of her default of forced.

You just hope that neither of them does something to mess up what's clearly a good thing they've got going for themselves.

-0-0-

**Finn**

It's like tiny sparks of pain attacking you every time you catch sight of them.

Pressed up against the lockers; wrapped up in each other on the bleachers at lunch or after school; his arm around her in Glee club, her head on his shoulder; singing the duets that used to be yours. It's excruciating, because _that should be you_. You should be the one holding her; singing with her; being there for her.

And you would be, if you weren't such an idiot.

What were you thinking, letting her go? Practically sending her running straight into his arms, on the rebound from the relationship you broke off for no good reason. (This is more than a rebound, though, you can tell; despite what you wish it was.) You don't even remember what possessed you this time, but it was probably petty and stupid.

Who's been there, waiting for you, through it all? And only now, when she isn't there anymore, do you see it.

You lost your chance, and he was smart enough to take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself. (She's amazing, a keeper; and he's seen that longer than you have, obviously, because he's the one holding her right now.) It's what you would have done if the situations were reversed. You can't hate him for that.

Well, you _shouldn't_. You totally _do_, but that's different. (Because it's impossible not to hate the person at her side right now; where you should be, but aren't.)

This entire time she's been yours … But you didn't see that, and now she's gone.

And you hate it.

-0-0-

**Mercedes**

You're actually kind of happy for white girl.

(The two of you have some wicked rivalry in Glee club – even now that she's taken it down the crazy a few notches – but you respect her, too. Because she's in it for her and she isn't afraid to do what needs to, just like you. It'd be so much easier for you if she weren't in the picture … but you respect her just the same.)

Finn probably didn't mean to be, but boy was a dumbass; doesn't know a good thing when he has one, in your opinion. Because Rachel's borderline psychotic most of the time – again, even now – but she was obviously in love with him … long before he was a free man, and long after. Too bad for him that she got her head screwed on straight and chose to move on, instead of moping around pathetically after he freaked out and dumped her (again).

Because Puck may be a little clueless sometimes (_most_ times, actually), but not clueless to the degree that Finn is. Dude still goes for what he wants and doesn't let it go; even when he's not fully aware that it's what he wants yet. (And yeah, when he wanted you it was for all the wrong reasons, but you don't even fault him for that little fling. It was what it was, but you were never that interested in him anyways.)

Kurt's still in a state of shock over the whole thing (which you've been finding pretty hilarious, actually, because your best friend is usually a couple steps ahead of everyone before they even know what they're next move's going to be), but you understand.

They work because they're really not so different, despite popular belief.

They're both as stubborn as pigs; they both carry intense, egotistical and self-assured facades over their deep rooted insecurities; they both project themselves to be so much more than they really are, but so much _less_ at the same time.

(She's so much less than the freak part she inadvertently plays, and so much more than a petty diva; he's so much less than a jerk or a bully, and so much more than just a self-proclaimed all-powerful badass.)

They're actually kind of perfect. And you think that they might just be the most worthy of a fairytale happy ending of anyone else in this cow town full of small-minded, cruel people.

And you can't help smile when you see them in the hallways, because of what you know; (everything that they themselves are still too oblivious to).

-0-0-

**Kurt**

You never saw this coming.

Sure, last time they got it into their heads that they should give a relationship a go you gave them that ridiculous couple name, but just because it was (is) all so _absurd_. Of course, he did choose her over football … But then the whole baby daddy fiasco happened, and it was so obvious that he was head over heels for Q! Wasn't he …?

But now- with Rachel- and he- and they- ugh!

You used to be so sure, so certain, and now it's like the whole world is on its head, the axis completely bent out of shape. You don't know when it happened, but it's like the entire crust of everything you've ever known is gone. Like a carpet's been ripped out from under your feet, and you're on your butt on the floor trying to find your bearings again.

You don't have a clue how this happened.

Obviously it's just a blip on the radar; a small, random interference with the universe that will soon be resolved. Certainly their relationship (if it can even be called that) will crumble much in the same way it did last time (quickly and silently) and the world order will once again be restored.

You could swear, though, that you see a corner of Mercedes' mouth quirk up and her eyes flash with something you don't quite understand when you tell her that. Like there's some joke you're missing out on … or like _you_'re the joke. It unnerves you for a moment, because what if you're honest to goodness wrong? What if you _are_ missing something in the bigger picture?

But no, that can't be.

You're right; you have to be. This little uncharted adventure will be over soon, and the world will make sense again, because this is nothing more than a blip.

It _has_ to just be a blip … right?

-0-0-

**Quinn**

You don't have anyone to blame for this but yourself, and you know it.

Ever since the beginning it's all been you. The pregnancy, the lies; losing Finn; pushing Puck away, pulling him back in – pushing him away, and pulling him back in; falling for him when you knew that you shouldn't; pushing him away again in what must have been the proverbial straw to break the camel's back.

All along, it's been you.

You're the reason you fell for him, the reason you're still in love with him. And you're the reason that he's holding _Rachel Berry_ in his arms right now, and not you. You pushed him away because you were afraid to love him … pushed him straight into her open arms. If it hadn't been for you, you wouldn't want to cry every time you pass one of them in the hallway and know that they're happy together while you're living in a bottomless pit of misery.

(You don't think that you deserve to be happy anymore; not after everything you've done.)

It's been you, the entire time … but you still blame him. For the pregnancy, for loving him, for all the pain; and maybe blaming him for fifty percent the pregnancy is fair, but not the rest of it. Because he didn't _make_ you love him, he didn't _make_ you give away your daughter (that was your decision); he isn't _trying_ to cause you agony.

You're not at a stage where you're ready to internalize it and accept it, though; yet. It's all you and you know it, but you're too damaged right now to do anything more than lay all the blame on his shoulders. (Because his are strong enough at the moment to unwittingly hold it, and yours aren't.)

-0-0-

"It's funny to watch them watching us like we're some kind of teenage soap drama, don't you think," she mutters to him as she grabs her Math book out of her locker, replacing it with her Science one. Looking up at him through his eyelashes, she shakes her head amusedly and adds, "Some of them openly despising us, others ogling."

Funny isn't exactly the word he'd use … he was actually thinking more along the lines of _fucking annoying_, but whatever. When she puts it like that it _is_ actually kind of hilarious. "Yeah," he murmurs, leaning in to pecks her on the lips, smoothly segueing into his next point as his mouth become more insistent … "What do you say we skip the rest of the day?"

With his lips on hers it's a little hard to think or decline, which she's sure is exactly what he was going for, but she manages to pull away and laugh lightly, her face still less an inch from his when she says, "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

He smirks. "Yeah, but you love it," he replies with one more peck before closing her locker door and steering her towards her next class which he'd only recently discovered they share.

_Yes_, she thinks to herself, a smile on her face as she pointedly ignores a not-so-subtle stare from Kurt and an open glare from Finn, _Yes, I do._

_-0-0-_

_The end! ... For now (;._


End file.
